“It’s always special. I can’t even lie. It’s always special to be on the floor with a brother of mine,” LeBron James (34) said on Carmelo Anthony (35) upon facing him after almost two decades on a basketball court. The thing with LeBron is that he has always put Melo in the highest regard. Not only James but Anthony has also valued his friendship with James over anything else. Even to date, he can not forget how James put his life in danger to save Anthony. Anthony almost drowned to death had it not been for James who was no less than Macgyver Tse for a young Melo in the Bahamas and saved his life. “That was special. … He saved my life.” Recalling the incident, Anthony echoed. “Yo ‘Bron, I appreciate that. You saved my life that day. Them little flippers wasn’t working for me.” However, despite their unshakable friendship, Melo recently risked it all by taking a surprising dig at LeBron after the Lakers traded Anthony Davis to the Mavericks.

Everyone was shocked when Anthony Davis got traded to the Mavericks. The NBA community didn’t see that coming at all. Out of nowhere, it was announced that AD was heading to Dallas. Even LeBron admitted that he had no clue about the trade. Considering how close the two were, he probably wouldn’t have let it happen if he had known. While the move by the LA franchise was tough to swallow, at least AD didn’t have any bad blood with the 4-time champ. But then, Carmelo Anthony stepped into the picture with his confession, and it definitely made heads turn.

“At this point in time, in order to make certain s**t happen, I can’t put certain people in these situations to actually influence or f**k this up. Bron couldn’t have known. He couldn’t. Rich Paul couldn’t know. Nobody else could know,” Melo said on 7PM in Brooklyn. But there was something that LeBron knew– something others might not have. “He knew AD was unhappy. He knew AD was unhappy—that’s what he knew,” Melo added.

Davis had been pretty vocal about his preference to play in the power forward position, but the Lakers kept playing him at center. Before the trade, the franchise was even looking for a center, which led many to believe that AD would finally get his wish and play as a forward. But fate had other plans. And being the closest to AD, LeBron certainly would’ve known his sentiments, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. However, despite Melo blaming LeBron for knowing about Davis’ situation at the Lakers, LeBron has no bitter feelings for his friend.

Carmelo Anthony among 17 finalists for NBA Hall of Fame

Carmelo Anthony has always been the real one when it came to LeBron James. From their Team USA exploits to clashes on the NBA courts, the journey of the two megastars has been one of the most-told stories of the league over the years. But that was all they could’ve provided when Melo decided to put his jersey in the closet. Everyone knows the dues are always paid and the flowers are always delivered in the NBA, and so here it is. Carmelo Anthony will finally be taking his rightful place among the immortals of the game.

After years of hard work, Carmelo Anthony’s efforts are finally paying off with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The former NBA star took to X to express how he feels, saying he is “Humbled and honored 🙌🏾.” Melo played his last NBA game on April 10, 2022, and three years later, he rightfully earned his spot among the 17 finalists for the Class of 2025.

The news broke on Friday, and LeBron was quick to take time out of his jam-packed NBA All-Star weekend schedule to share a heartfelt congratulatory message for his friend, “WELL DESERVING MY BROTHER!!!!! SO DAMN HAPPY AND PROUD OF YOU CHAMP!! 🙏🏾💪🏾”