10x NBA All-Star's Statement on Almost Teaming With LeBron James

LeBron James almost had an even bigger superteam.

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Lebron James (6) looks on during the third quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James is known for having some of the most stacked superteams in NBA history, from the Miami Heat to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Surprisingly, there was a moment in time when 10x NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony almost joined LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade on the Chicago Bulls.

During an episode of Podcast P by Wave Sports, Carmelo Anthony revealed that he had the opportunity to team up with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh on the Chicago Bulls, but he wasn't comfortable being the fourth option while in his prime. The conversations first started when Carmelo and the crew were all playing on Team USA.

"Before the Miami Big Three, there were talks about me and Bron [LeBron James] because out of me, him and D Wade, we were closest…We never was all locked in until we started going and getting old. You know what I mean? And then we had experiences played on the world championship team and I think that's when it kind of really started to blossom," Carmelo said.

What brought Carmelo, LeBron, and Wade together was losing together. They wanted to win together and experience the same high together. However, it was only going to happen on the New York Knicks or the Chicago Bulls.

"I think it was because we lost together," Carmelo said. "We felt the same pain, we felt the same sentiment. So that brought us all three together.  With Bron it was always like, yo, we got to make it happen some way. Somehow the opportunity comes, let's make it happen. We just never knew where, you know what I mean? We could fuck around with each other but you ain’t going to New York, ain't going to Cleveland.  So it was just like as friends and competitors growing up together like yea we wonder [if we can play together].

Carmelo reveals how he & LeBron almost teamed up in Chicago before the Miami Big 3 formed.

More on the full episode premiering NOW: https://t.co/imWdpkOEeR pic.twitter.com/que1r9njov

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) July 22, 2024

What made Carmelo Anthony ultimately say no was the fact that he felt too young to become a fourth option as a superstar for the Denver Nuggets. In retrospect, Carmelo wasn't wrong in his thought process.

"Imagine me at 24 years old being the fourth option on a team, when I'm leading my team every single year, like I'm finding my way in this league," Carmelo said. "You want me to leave that and go be a fourth option? I don't know mentally, how I was going to be ready for that. It ain't got nothing to do with money."

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