The 2023 NBA Draft, with all the hype around the widely touted #1 pick Victor Wembanyama, reminded fans of the 2003 NBA Draft, which saw three generational talents in Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James get drafted into the league. Apart from housing such remarkable talents, the 2003 Draft is also memorable to fans because it displayed the beautiful friendship between Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James for the first time on national television. While LeBron has separated himself from almost every single player in NBA history, in terms of legacy, he and Melo entered the Draft as bright young prospects with limitless potential. Their friendship would only underscore the sharp differences between them on the hardwood. The NBA’s favorite storyteller Iman Shumpert recently fleshed out the distinct differences between playing against Melo and playing against Bron.
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The friendship between LeBron and Melo started when the two top national prospects met in a hotel lobby in Pennsylvania in 2002. The two would immediately hit it off through their love for basketball and similar experiences growing up in single mother households. Their path would diverge after the 2003 Draft, but the two would eventually reunite in LA in 2021. After a short-lasting stint together with the Lakers, LeBron finally bid goodbye to his dear friend in May, calling him “one of the greatest players[he has] ever seen play.”
Iman Shumpert details the differences between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony
Former Cleveland Cavaliers star Iman Shumpert has established himself as quite the storyteller in the past few years. Most NBA fans have probably seen clips of Shumpert’s riveting Kobe stories on TikTok and YouTube Shorts. The 33-year-old recently explained in a podcast the disparate experience of playing against LeBron James compared to playing against Carmelo Anthony.
Shumpert played with both Anthony and James in his decade-long NBA career. He was teammates with Melo during his stint with the New York Knicks from 2011 to 2015. On the other hand, the veteran guard was part of the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers that won the 2016 NBA Championship. Therefore, it is safe to say, he has quite a fair idea on how both of them operate.
During an appearance on the No Chill with Gilbert Arenas podcast on Fubo Sports Network, Shumpert said, “What I learned so quick playing with Bron, is actually like the opposite of Melo. With Melo, Melo will find your weakness immediately…and he’ll keep it in his pocket to use it when he need to use it…LeBron will make it till you’re not allowed to play…you can’t even be on the floor right now. We gonna expose it now, can’t keep it in pocket…”
Even though LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have accumulated very different resumes in the league, the two future Hall-of-Famers had a very similar first year. Anthony averaged 21 points and helped take the Denver Nuggets to the playoffs. On the other hand, James averaged 20.9 points, but failed to take the Cavs to the playoffs after almost single-handedly carrying the team throughout the regular season. LeBron eventually won the 2004 Rookie of the Year award, but many believe Melo should’ve won it too as a co-winner.
Iman Shumpert is the ultimate hype man
There’s no doubt that Iman Shumpert has almost Pindaric capabilities as the NBA’s ultimate hype man. His remarkable storytelling abilities mixed with his NBA insight makes his stories so captivating. This is not the first time he has raved about LeBron James.
Shumpert once explained how expansive the King’s basketball IQ really is. The 2016 NBA Champion admitted that it’s really ‘scary’ how the four-time NBA Champion could predict plays before they even happened. And that’s why he is considered by many as the Greatest of All Time.
