In professional basketball, trades can happen in the blink of an eye. But some players prove that true loyalty runs deeper than team jerseys. Consider Paul Pierce’s emotional return to Boston after being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, or Dwyane Wade’s enduring connection to the Miami Heat even after playing for the Chicago Bulls. Now a prime example of this loyalty has surfaced again after a former Cleveland Cavaliers star shared how his loyalty created an awkward situation.

The former Cavs champ, Iman Shumpert opened up on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast about the “weird” emotions he felt when facing Carmelo Anthony—his former Knicks teammate—while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I’m like, trying to process like, damn bro, like, one, this n—- and Bron is like, arch enemy, you know what I’m saying? It’s like, they like everybody’s comic book right now. Like, why the f–k, why I gotta be part of this? And when I got to, it was weird for me and Bron initially,” said Shumpert during the podcast.

Iman Shumpert was selected by the New York Knicks in 2011 as the 17th overall pick. His rookie season saw him average 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, earning him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

During his stint with the Knicks, Shumpert played alongside Carmelo Anthony, who was then the face of the franchise. However, NBA careers are often marked by sudden changes, and in January 2015, Shumpert was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Shumpert’s transition to Cleveland came with its challenges, and one of the most emotionally charged moments arrived during his first game against the Knicks post-trade. In the podcast, the 34-year-old clearly wanted to convey the awkwardness of facing Carmelo Anthony, someone he still considered a mentor and friend.

However, Cavaliers teammate LeBron James played a critical role in easing the tension. Known for his ability to unify teams and support teammates, LeBron helped Shumpert focus on his role with the Cavaliers. On February 22nd, 2015, in Shumpert’s first game against the Knicks, he scored only 4 points. Then, James understanding the situation, took matters in hand and scored 18 points on that night that helped the Cavs defeat the Knicks, (101-83).

The former shooting guard quickly became an integral part of the Cavaliers’ rotation. In Cleveland’s 2016 historic title run, he was an important part, helping the Cavaliers come from behind to win against the Golden State Warriors. In that season, he averaged 5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists in 54 games.

The Shump’s reflections offer a window into the emotional complexities NBA players face when loyalty and competition collide. Moreover, the shooting guard once even compared what it was like playing with the two players.

Iman Shumpert’s comparison of playing with Melo and James

Shumpert had the luxury of playing alongside two of the most prolific players in basketball history, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. Carmelo and he would play alongside each other in New York with the Knicks from 2011 to 2014, then from 2015 to 2018 in Cleveland where he would win an NBA championship in 2016 alongside LeBron.

During “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas” podcast, the former NBA player, reflected on the experience of playing alongside both players.

“With Melo, he will find your weakness immediately. He will know it 100 percent, and he’ll keep it in his pocket to use it when he needs to use it, right? LeBron will make it to where you’re not allowed to play like you can’t even be on the floor right now because we’re going to expose it, can’t leave it in my pocket, gotta beat you now with it until you call a timeout,” said Shumpert.

Despite playing with some of the NBA’s greatest talents, Shumpert’s career wasn’t as long as some might have expected. After a solid stint in the league, he transitioned to exploring new passions, including rap, acting, and dancing. In the end, we can still speculate that playing alongside some of the best players in the league surely impacted Shumpert and only added to his legacy.