Carmelo Anthony Shuts Down Rumor He Asked LeBron James To Get The Lakers To Sign Him
Carmelo Anthony would have loved to play with his “Banana Boat” buddy LeBron James on the Lakers, but he would never put his friend in that kind of position.
According to Clutch Points, Melo says it’s not in Bron’s control to get guys signed.
Related: Trail Blazers Will Reportedly Fully Guarantee Carmelo Anthony’s Contract For Remainder Of Season
“There were a lot of teams that I thought I was going to be on. As far as LeBron goes, it’s something we’ve talked about since we were in high school. It wasn’t in his power. Some people might say it was in his power. But it’s not something that I was calling him and talking to him about, asking him, ‘Can you do this for me?’ I would never put him in that position because a lot of times it’s deeper than that, and I started understanding the business of basketball.”
Carmelo is of course referring to his period of exile when he was looking to get back into the NBA after being unceremoniously traded by the Houston Rockets and bought out by the Atlanta Hawks last season. The rumor will was working overtime saying Bron could get Melo signed to his Lakers team.
All of the “Banana Boat” crew playing together has been rumored and bandied about on #NBATwitter seemingly forever. But the reality is that pipe dream was nothing more than that.
Since his basketball exile, Carmelo was signed by the Portland Trail Blazers last month, and has been playing well.
Portland recently guaranteed his contract for the entire season, and based on their injuries Melo will be an integral part of the team’s success or failure as the season goes on.
Anthony insists he’s not retiring at the end of the season, and if the future Hall of Famer continues to produce, there is no reason he should.
His return has been lauded by his NBA peers, including his fellow “Banana Boat” crew and Clippers’ stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
