18-year NBA veteran Carmelo Anthony has had an amazing career. A 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA player, and former scoring Champion, he is among basketball’s All-Time greatest scorers.
Still, in spite of all he has done at this level of the game, there remains a glaring hole in his resume: a Championship.
In 18 years, and through stints in Denver, New York, OKC, Houston, and Portland, he has failed to capture a title, and that shortcoming has become a major blemish on his otherwise remarkable career.
Now with the Lakers, Melo has his best chance ever to finally hold up that Larry O’Brien and he knows exactly what’s on the line.
“This is the one thing I’m missing,” Melo said about winning a title in L.A. “This is the one thing that keeps me up at night, that motivates me because I don’t have it.”
"This is the one thing I'm missing. This is the one thing that keeps me up at night, that motivates me because I don't have it."
– Carmelo Anthony on chasing a Championship
(via @kylegoon) pic.twitter.com/3WAbVqCjA3
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) August 9, 2021
For any long-time basketball fans, you’ll be aware of the infamous “banana boat” crew that first became famous years ago.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony were caught having a “friends” vacation, and they’ve been known as close buds since.
While Melo joining the Lakers this summer is not the first time two members of the crew have united, it is certainly the most interesting.
Over the years, a Melo and Bron partnership has been teased, and it will be interesting to see how they play together now that they’re teammates for the first time.
Carmelo Anthony said for years he and LeBron have “laughed and joked” about the possibility of playing together, but he thinks on the Lakers “the time is now for us to be on the same team. It couldn’t have came at a better time.”
Carmelo Anthony said for years he and LeBron have "laughed and joked" about the possibility of playing together, but he thinks on the Lakers "the time is now for us to be on the same team. It couldn't have came at a better time."
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) August 9, 2021
At 37 and 36 years old, respectively, there is much doubt that Carmelo and LeBron can make things work at this stage of their careers.
Those doubts could be proven right in the end, but it’s never wise to count out two Hall-of-Famers, especially when one of them is widely considered the greatest basketball player ever.
