Lakers’ LeBron James Influence Takes Carmelo Anthony Away from Damian Lillard

Anthony Jumps at Opportunity to Play Alongside James

Several seasons ago, Carmelo Anthony’s basketball career seemed to have drawn to a close. After disappointing stints with Oklahoma City and Houston, teams stopped calling and showing interest in the 10-time All-Star.

The Portland Trailblazers took a flier and signed him back in 2019, and Anthony has managed to remove the label that he was washed and could not play anymore off.

Recently on the 'All the Smoke' podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Anthony speaks fondly of his time in Portland, and how he was welcomed with open arms, which definitely built back his confidence.

“Portland was real solid. They brought me in and I played right away. And that’s all I ever wanted to do was just hoop, man, I love to hoop. I wanted to be on the court. Then, I’m playing with Dame, I’m playing with CJ, they opened they arms, they opened they city, their organization, so I had to be loyal to those guys. Like, I’m gonna give you what I got.”

Damian Lillard went out of his way to make sure Anthony was comfortable throughout Anthony’s tenure with the Blazers.

“Dame is a real one because Dame always knew like, ‘Man we don’t care about what nobody else is saying. We know you can play. I know you can play. I see you. I talk to you.’ So when you get somebody like that, rocking with you, it makes that situation easier.”

As loyal as Anthony says he is to the city of Portland, it is difficult for most people to turn down the opportunity to win a title with LeBron James. It did not seem to take much for Anthony to sign with the Lakers.

“Bron just came to me one time and said, ‘Yo, the time is now. I want you. We got to make this happen. And I just felt like for right now, this is the best time.” Anthony recently told ESPN.

Both Laker fans and haters are eager to see how both James and Anthony will play together, as both of their careers seem to have gone full circle, drafted one and three respectively, in the 2003 NBA Draft.