Next, the Kings' coach and several of the team's key players took turns attending the press conference.
The team had agreed tonight to show these veterans the respect they deserved.
So the veterans were the last ones to appear.
The third-to-last was Gallo, Anthony.
He held the gleaming O'Brien Cup in his arms.
When he arrived at the venue, he set the O'Brien Cup on the table beside him.
Then he said to the reporters, "All right, you can take pictures now. You don't see me in a shot like this very often."
He gave a self-deprecating laugh.
The reporters laughed along, but at the same time, a pang of sadness crept into their hearts.
Gallo, however, seemed completely unaware.
He joked around as he answered their questions.
Finally, after ten minutes, the reporters had asked all their questions.
Gallo swept his gaze across the room.
"Does anyone else have a question?"
The reporters shook their heads, indicating that they were done.
Gallo nodded, then his expression grew serious.
"If that's all, then I have something to announce. I hereby announce that tonight, right now, I, Carmelo Anthony... am retiring."
In an instant, the room fell utterly silent.
All the reporters were stunned.
None of them had received any word beforehand that Gallo was going to retire.
They certainly hadn't expected him to retire on the night he won the championship.
The reporters were all too stunned to react.
After dropping such a bombshell, Gallo smiled and glanced at the reporters.
Then he stood up, holding the O'Brien Cup, and left through a side exit.
His steps were not as heavy as anyone might have imagined. If anything, he seemed light on his feet.
After all these years, his dream had finally come true, and he could finally set down