Carmelo Anthony Describes Being Upset At LeBron James And Dwyane Wade For Not Playing Against Him During His 50-Point Masterpiece

Throughout his 19-year NBA career, Carmelo Anthony has had numerous games where he has dropped big numbers. Melo’s career-high 62 points came from a will to snap his team’s losing streak. But did you know that the New York Knicks icon once dropped a 50-piece out of sheer competitive frustration over LeBron James and Dwyane Wade?

Making an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, Anthony, and the PG-13 got into the 50-point game he had against the Miami Heat. In a game where both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade chose not to play, Melo describes what led him to drop 50 points on the Heat that night.

“Miami was—Not angry but like competitively upset. Because I really wanted them to play. I think it was going into the playoffs or something…And they sat. I’m thinking like, they gon’ play. We gotta see where we at. Let’s set the tone. And they didn’t even play.”

Coming into Miami to take on the Heat, Carmelo Anthony was looking forward to looking horns with LBJ and D-Wade. But the disappointment quickly seeped in when he saw both players weren’t in the lineup. And shortly after, his frustration took over.

“I ain’t even seen them on the bench at first. They came out when the game was going on. So, that was like, competitively tight. ‘Damn, why y’all ni**as ain’t play man’…I was mad at them two ain’t play. I’m already in my zone…I ain’t know it was gon be 50.”

Anthony felt locked in from the very start of the game. He mentioned how Jason Kidd saw him in the zone, stayed out of his way, and just kept feeding him the ball.

Now, a 50-point game is no small feat and is as impressive as it gets. But what made Anthony’s 50-piece game all the more impressive is the fact that they were all jump shots. Melo kept the defenders on their toes, throwing in a few fadeaways and stepback jumpers.

Melo had 50 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block for the game. He shot a whopping 69.2% from the field, going 18-26 and an incredible 70% from beyond the arc, knocking down 7 out of his 10 three-point attempts.

When Carmelo Anthony deliberately lost games to face the Heat

Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James have been good friends since they all got drafted into the league back in 2003. But that friendship never stopped them from competing fiercely with one another.

Melo mentioned how he wanted to play those two when James was with the Miami Heat. But during an episode of 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks star even admitted to losing games deliberately, just so they could match up against the Heat in the playoffs.

Melo tells JJ a cautionary tale about trying to get a specific playoff match up pic.twitter.com/vtWQJmuN6I

— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) April 19, 2024

Stating how he did not want to play the Indiana Pacers because the Knicks matched up better with the Heat, Melo finally got his wish. Unfortunately, the Heat’s Big Three of James, Chris Bosh, and Wade were quick to knock the New York Knicks out of playoff contention.