Inside The Heat

Carmelo Anthony Says Miami Heat Trio Of LeBron, Bosh, Dwyane Wade Almost Never Happened

Shandel Richardson

February 3, 2011; Orlando FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6), shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) and power forward Chris Bosh (1) huddle up during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.Miami Heat defeated Orlando Magic 104-100. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
February 3, 2011; Orlando FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6), shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) and power forward Chris Bosh (1) huddle up during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.Miami Heat defeated Orlando Magic 104-100. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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The Miami Heat made NBA history when they paired Dwyane Wade with LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the summer of 2010.

It gave the Heat three of the league's top 10 players. For that, they were one of the most loved and hated teams in all of sports. It also marked the beginning of James being considered a villain because most feel he orchestrated the move.

But this union almost never happened. At least that's what retired star Carmelo Anthony claimed on a recent appearance on the Podcast P with Paul George. He said he was originally in the discussion.

"Before the Miami Heat Big Three, it was talks about me and `Bron," Anthony said.

Talks between Anthony and James stalled because they were unable to find a city to join forces.


"We just never knew where," Anthony said.

He then asked James, "You going to New York? I ain't going to Cleveland. You can come to Denver."'

Anthony left the discussion once money became a factor. Wade, Bosh and James all took bargain deals while Anthony maximized his contract and was later traded to the New York Knicks. Anthony also didn't like the idea of being a second or third option with the Heat.

"I think one of them had to take 16 [million] and the other one 17," Anthony said. "All of them had to really sacrifice, which I take my hat off to them for doing that because that's hard."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here