Hall of Fame Ex-Laker Becomes Global Ambassador for Australian League

His next venture could prove quite lucrative.

Sep 28, 2021; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) and forward Carmelo Anthony (7) laugh during media day at the UCLA Health and Training Center in El Segundo, Calif. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

One-time former Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony (L.A. won't exactly be the first team mentioned in his Hall of Fame resume, though he was one of the few bright spots during an otherwise-unhappy 2021-22 season)'s next venture has been revealed.

Per Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Anthony has been named the Global Ambassador of Australia's National Basketball League (NBL)'s Next Stars program, and will also serve as a part-owner of an impending expansion team for a growing pro league.

Anthony has plenty of money to burn, having netted a whopping $262.5 million across a decorated career, per Spotrac. The 6-foot-7 Syracuse product was selected third in a storied 2003 NBA Draft, behind current Lakers All-NBA forward LeBron James and, uh, Darko Milicic, but ahead of future Hall of Famers Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, as well as future All-Stars Chris Kaman, David West and Kyle Korver.

Anthony became a 10-time All-Star with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, and enjoyed deep playoff runs with both clubs, but never made an NBA Finals. He was a six-time All-NBA honoree, and was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, honoring the best 75 players in its history. Anthony at his peak was one of the most lethal three-level scorers in the game, but was rarely equipped with proper supporting casts to get him over the postseason hump.

It took a while, but Anthony eventually accepted his post-prime destiny as being a versatile floor-spacer off the bench. During his lone season alongside James on the Lakers, he averaged 13.3 points on .441/.375/.830 shooting splits (that three point output arrived on a high-volume 5.8 triple tries a night), 4.2 rebounds, one assist, 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals a night. He was good enough to probably deserve a return appearance with L.A., but after that team finished 33-49, team president Rob Pelinka prioritized youth and upside over vets, which left the 37-year-old Anthony a man without a team. He eventually announced his retirement.

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