Kobe Bryant’s Relationship With Carmelo Anthony Blossomed 14 Years Ago During an Extremely Physical WCF

In many people’s eyes, Kobe Bryant was the ultimate competitor. The Black Mamba was obsessed with winning and honed his game so that he could achieve victory. His competitive nature particularly came out during the NBA Playoffs, where he took his game to a whole other level. Along the same lines, Carmelo Anthony was also rather competitive, and in 2009, the two clashed at the Western Conference Finals. And, as Melo revealed on the All the Smoke podcast, that is where he grew close with Kobe.

Bryant and Anthony had actually gotten close a year prior to their meeting in 2009. The two were part of the infamous Redeem Team that won the Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Along with the likes of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwight Howard, the team was formidable, and Kobe was their leader. However, Melo just couldn’t get on board with waking up every day at 4:30 to join him for workouts.

Carmelo Anthony formed a close bond with Kobe, out of disrespect

Recently, Carmelo Anthony appeared on the All the Smoke podcast where he was asked about his relationship with Kobe Bryant. Here, Melo explained that they grew close during the 2009 Western Conference Finals. Playing for the Denver Nuggets at the time, Melo went head-to-head with Bryant and the Lakers.

The Black Mamba was amazing, averaging close to 34 points, six rebounds, and six assists per game. But, he wasn’t alone in his performances. Anthony also brought his A game, as he averaged close to 29 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game. An intense matchup that ultimately ended in Kobe’s favor as they won the series 4-2.

Nevertheless, the two went at it for all six games. A great matchup, there was trash-talking, elbows thrown and a lot of physicality involved. And, it was in this “disrespectful” setting, that Kobe and Melo grew close.

“We became very close. But, we became close on some disrespectful sh*t. You know Kobe man, he going at your neck! Just saying sh*t to you, elbowing you, and he’s smirking, he’s doing his little elbows. I remember we hugged before the game, he was like, “This is war!”. I said, “It’s war…let’s get it!”. It ain’t be nothing easy.”

The two were incredibly close. And in 2020, after hearing of Kobe’s passing, Melo was devastated. After all, he had just lost his big brother, someone who always looked out for him during his time in the league.

Kobe looked out for Anthony during his move to the Knicks

In 2011, rumors floated around Carmelo Anthony and his potential departure from Denver. Everyone was curious about it, especially considering all signs pointed to either the Brooklyn Nets or the New York Knicks. Inevitably, Melo would move to the Knicks, but prior to the move, he was prevented from even discussing it.

During the 2011 All-Star Games, Melo was asked about his potential move to New York. However, he was stopped from sharing his thoughts by his “big brother” Kobe Bryant.

Kobe truly was an incredible human being. And, although he was obsessed with winning, it never let stopped him from doing the right thing. Including taking care of the up-and-coming young stars.