LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul have been close friends for over a decade and a half. The quartet is often called the “Banana Boat” Crew, a nickname they were anointed after they were photographed sitting together on a banana boat during a trip to the Bahamas. However, Anthony seemingly doesn’t like the moniker because he wasn’t in that picture.
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During a recent appearance on Paul George’s Podcast P, the Hall of Famer clarified that a few fans incorrectly believe he was also a part of the iconic “Banana Boat” Crew photo. He said,
“On the picture, everybody think that I’m on the boat. I’m not on the boat. It’s Bron, CP, D-Wade and Gab [Union]. It’s a picture because the notion of the ‘Banana Boat Crew,’ that s**t hit so hard. And they’re like,’Yo, come on.’ ‘Nah, no way I’m getting on that with y’all. There’s no way, catch a picture of this. This is crazy.'”
Anthony even reposted the clip on his X profile and captioned it, “Had to clear this one up once and for all .”
Had to clear this one up once and for all https://t.co/RLblBJDTmv
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) July 22, 2024
Anthony seemingly dislikes the concept of a banana boat. However, he has nothing but love for the Banana Boat Crew members.
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony get candid about the Banana Boat Crew’s bond
Each of the four NBA superstars in the Banana Boat Crew entered the league around the same time and saw each other as rivals for years. However, that changed after they played together on Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In those few weeks they spent together, they formed a bond that would likely last the rest of their lives.
In an interview with The Athletic, LeBron James revealed that while basketball is the common denominator, the quartet does not talk about it when they spend time together. He said,
“Our relationship, me and Melo, D-Wade and CP, we don’t talk about basketball. We talk about life and how we can change the world and change the people around us. If we allow basketball to define who we are, then we’re nothing.”
In the same interview, Anthony claimed that their bond would last forever. He said,
“We came in together. Some way, some how we will always be connected.”
James, Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade are all first-ballot Hall of Famer. However, when they are together, they are like any other group of men who enjoy talking about life, joking, and having a great time outside their workplace.
