There’s something uniquely powerful when fierce opponents become close allies. And NBA is no stranger. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, rivals on the court in the 1980s, went from fierce competition to close friendship after they discovered mutual respect and admiration. Today, a similar bond thrives between two former NBA stars, though their competition has extended far beyond the court.

Recently, Dwyane Wade revealed during an episode of the ‘OGs Podcast’ that Carmelo Anthony is his favorite player when it comes to analyzing his record-breaking game where he scored 55 points against the New York Knicks. Wade, known for his scoring prowess, spoke warmly about Anthony’s insightful commentary on his performance.

“You don’t want to talk about yourself, you want people to talk about you. So my favorite person who broke down my game and it’s hard for me to break it down, it’s Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo on his podcast 7 pm, he broke down how my game was and I think a lot of people, when they compare you, they compare you in one category and a lot of it is how fancy it looked, what you doing it, how good it looked what you doing it and how many points you put in and nothing else and Melo broke down all the things that I provided,” said Wade during the podcast.

This praise is particularly interesting considering both former NBA stars now compete in a fiercely competitive, $441 billion liquor industry, with each vying to make a mark on this high-stakes market. Both Wade and Anthony have turned their passion and charisma towards their own liquor brands since they retired from professional basketball.

In 2014, Dwyane Wade founded Wade Cellars and the portfolio consists of the flagship Wade Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Napa’s most iconic vineyards. On the other hand, Carmelo Anthony introduced VII(N), a brand focused on the rich flavors of South American wines. At the beginning of this year, Melo partnered with Robert Mondavi Winery’s Chief Winemaker, Geneviève Janssens to launch another brand known as ‘Ode to Soul‘.

Yet despite their competition in this massive industry, Wade’s admiration for Anthony’s insight into his historic basketball moment speaks volumes about their friendship. Wade’s words reveal respect and kinship that no business rivalry can undermine as it has previously as well.

Carmelo Anthony once wanted to own a team with Dwyane Wade

NBA players have for years increasingly looked to become team owners, an opportunity to stay connected to the league. The reason for this is that most athletes want more control and a more lasting legacy in the sport they helped build. Legends like Michael Jordan paved the way with his ownership of the Charlotte Hornets, and current stars are keen to follow suit.

Earlier, Carmelo Anthony expressed a great interest in partnering up with close friends and former teammates Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to purchase an NBA franchise. Kid Mero proposed a hypothetical scenario, on an episode of his ‘7pm in Brooklyn’ podcast, where Melo would own a team with Miami Heat duo LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Melo didn’t spare any time to answer that. “I would love it. That’s generational, that’s legacy, if we can do that you get what I’m saying? I don’t know how… I am open,” said Anthony.

Carmelo is already the future owner of an expansion team in the National Basketball League (NBL), Australia’s top men’s professional basketball league. James also is eagerly waiting to have ownership of the new Vegas team in the NBA and Wade also has a minority stake in the Utah Jazz. It can be speculated that if they join hands in the future, the result of the collaboration would be one of the most powerful teams in the league.