Carmelo Anthony's decision leaves LeBron James as final active player from iconic draft class

Melo's decision isn't surprising, as the former Syracuse star will turn 39 on May 29 and he hadn't played since the 2021-22 season.

The move also means that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is the final active player left from the iconic 2003 NBA Draft. 

James and the Lakers are just one loss away from a four-game sweep against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, but the former No. 1 pick has already indicated that he plans to play "at least a few more years" in the league.

Serbian Darko Milicic was infamously chosen second overall by the Detroit Pistons - one spot ahead of Anthony -- and flamed out after 10 seasons as one of the more notable busts in recent decades. 

Melo spent the first seven-plus seasons of his future-Hall-of-Fame career with the Denver Nuggets, before being traded to the New York Knicks in February 2011 in a blockbuster three-team deal that also included Chauncey Billups, Danilo Gallinari and Eddy Curry.

After six-plus seasons in the Big Apple, Anthony finished his career with one season apiece with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, as well as two years with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Hall-of-Famer Chris Bosh was selected fourth overall out of Georgia Tech and played 13 years in the league. His former Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade was taken No. 5 out of Marquette and suited up for 16 seasons. One-time All-Star big man Chris Kaman was picked sixth overall out of Central Michigan and played for 13 years, as did Kansas product Kirk Hinrich, who was selected seventh. T.J. Ford was taken eighth out of Texas and lasted eight seasons. Mike Sweetney was the ninth pick out of Georgetown but played only four years in the NBA while 10th pick Jarvis Hayes out of Georgia suited up for just seven seasons.

Other notable selections from the 2003 event included two-time All-Star David West (18th overall), former NBA champion and current ESPN talking head Kendrick Perkins (27th overall), 2007 Sixth Man of the Year Leandro Barbosa (28th overall) and sharpshooting one-time All-Star Kyle Korver (51st overall).