LeBron James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, Iman Shumpert, has been making his presence felt on a lot of podcasts lately, unraveling his vast treasure trove of NBA chronicles. Recently, he made an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast, where he discussed a variety of topics, from his journey to the NBA to the time he spent in the league. One thing that came up during the discussion was his run with the New York Knicks when he got to play with Carmelo Anthony. In the meantime, Shump revealed the origin story of Carmelo Anthony’s iconic “three to the head” celebration. Just two years after the other Melo, LaMelo Ball, was called out for copying the celebration, NBA fans were surprised to find out that Melo actually copied the celebration from somebody else as well.
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In 2021, LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets faced off against the Golden State Warriors. Midway through the first quarter of the game, LaMelo Ball hit a contested three-point shot over Stephen Curry for the Hornets. It was a great shot and one that prompted Ball to do the “three to the head” celebration. However, this did not sit well with the Warriors’ announcers, who trolled him for copying the celebration from Melo.
Iman Shumpert reveals the origin story of Carmelo Anthony’s “Three to the Head” celebration
Known for his exceptional scoring ability, Carmelo Anthony could score from almost anywhere on the court. One of his more underrated abilities was his three-point shooting. He could score at will from beyond the arc with his smooth jumpers. Over the years, Melo had gained notoriety for his iconic three-point celebration.
Known as the “three to the head” celebration, Anthony would always put three fingers to his head every time he scored a three. It became synonymous with him, and many have come to believe that he created the celebration. However, the origins of it are far more interesting. Iman Shumpert recently shared the intriguing story with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
The 33-year-old explained that the celebration was actually created by Rasheed Wallace. Wallace played for the New York Knicks in the 2012-2013 season. However, back and knee problems prevented him from getting on the court often. So, he took a sort of player-coach role, backing up his teammates from the bench. So, every time Melo hit a three, he would use the celebration, to pay homage to Sheed. Shumpert told the All the Smoke crew:
“Melo did that in honor of Sheed. I remember he had like a knee and a back problem. So, New York was like thirsty every time Sheed would get in. So Sheed was like, “Every time I hit a three Imma do three to the head!”. But, when he had the back problem and he couldn’t play, Sheed basically became like a coach for us. He was just that guy in our head giving us everything. He was talking loud as hell to the refs…whatever. He would always be in the warm-up, but he knew he wasn’t healthy enough to play. So, Melo kind of took it for him!”
It’s true that Carmelo was the one who made the celebration famous. While it is associated with him, it’s important to remember its true origins and the legendary player it honors.
Shumpert compared the differences between Melo and LeBron and what made them great
Iman Shumpert spent 10 seasons in the NBA. During that time, he got to play with some incredibly talented players. Two of them are undoubtedly Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. When comparing the two, Shump shared the differences between their styles of play and what made them great.
In Melo’s case, Shumpert revealed that he would find your weakness and exploit it later. However, in Bron’s case, he would attack you immediately and use your weakness to his advantage.
At the end of the day, both LeBron and Melo were incredibly talented players. They both had their unique styles of play, but the outcome was the same. They would crush you and make sure they secured the victory no matter what.
