LeBron James welcomed the idea of playing alongside 2003 NBA Draft-mate Carmelo Anthony after he was exiled by the Houston Rockets after 10 games with the team, and he recently doubled down on his desire to play next to his once high-school rival.
“People ask me questions, “Hey, how do you feel…” and you know, I think it would it be great to have Carmelo Anthony be on the Lakers,” James told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. “I believe Melo can still play the game. I believe I can help Melo. I know Melo better than Melo knows himself at times, and vice versa. So if the opportunity presents itself I would welcome it. That's what it all boils down to.”
Anthony has been out of action for a couple of months now, but has been seen keeping himself sharp during workouts and practice sessions near his home in New York.
Melo is not a free agent and the Lakers would need to trade for him or wait for the Rockets to buy him out of his one-year, $2.4 million contract for the veteran's minimum in order to add him to the roster.
James and Anthony were the high school circuit's attraction only 16 years ago, as the St. Vincent St. Mary's product went toe-to-toe with Oak Hill Academy's finest as a junior, memories that have been immortalized through several YouTube videos.
The 2003 class duo, considered two of the most potent scoring talents in NBA history, could share the same uniform for once since doing so for Team USA, one that could prove an epic conclusion to Anthony's career.
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