NBA legend Carmelo Anthony may be out of the league for good, but nobody is going to forget his amazing career. In 19 seasons, he averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on 44.7% shooting.
While Anthony’s ranking among the All-Time greats is still up in the air, his career was full of memorable moments that often brought him face-to-face with some of the game’s All-Time best.
The 2009 Conference Finals was one such moment for Melo. As he explained in a recent appearance on ‘All the Smoke’ podcast, his matchup against Kobe Bryant that year led to him forming a tight bond with the Lakers legend.
“We became very close,” said Anthony. “But we became close on some like, disrespectful sh*t. You know Kobe, man. He’s going at your neck, just saying shit to you, elbowing you, and he smirking, doing his little elbows. I remember we hugged before the game and he was like ‘this is war.’ And I said ‘it’s war, let’s get it.’ It ain’t gonna be nothing easy. And I just remember him telling, he always used to tell me ‘I’ll guard you in the fourth cuz they ain’t gonna call no fouls on me. They ain’t gonna call no sh*t on me in the fourth. I always used to try and beat him up though. I was bigger than him so I would try to beat him up and I would be physical with him. He would come back and elbow me, I come back to elbow him. He laughing, talking about ‘that’s all you got?’ He was just pushing my buttons to see where I was at.”
Anybody who watched Kobe play during the height of his career will tell you that he never cheated the game. He always gave maximum effort and made winning his top priority on the court.
Carmelo Anthony Was Teammates With Kobe Bryant During 2008 ‘Redeem Team’ Run
Kobe’s appetite for excellence didn’t stop in Los Angeles. Even when he joined forces with his peers to play for Team USA, he was still the same guy that was leading the Lakers to titles.
Recently, the ‘Redeem Team’ documentary was released. Featuring the key players of the team like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony, to name a few, the documentary revolves around team USA’s journey to the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics.
In a clip, Melo said that he needed Kobe Bryant to bring his A-game to USA. “We don’t need Lakers Kobe. We need Team USA Kobe.”
Kobe, being Kobe, had a savage reply and was locked in to lead the team to a win in the Olympics.
“I get it. I’m in. I’m tired of watching y’all lose.”
Kobe always demanded the best from his teammates and he wasn’t afraid to call out guys who he felt weren’t doing enough.
Against his enemies, Bryant was willing to use any method to slow down his opponent, even using words to get in the player’s head.
Regarding the 2009 Western Conference Finals, Bryant came out on top that year in what would be the first of a back-to-back title run. Anthony never did make a return trip to the Conference Finals, but that showdown in 2009 was as exciting of a series as anyone could have hoped for.
It’s a shame we never got to see a round two.
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