Rich Paul said the long-debated idea of a rivalry between Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony never fully materialized, citing league circumstances rather than individual competition.
On the latest episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, Paul explained that discussions surrounding James and Anthony often ignore the structural realities created by the 2003 NBA Draft. According to Paul, once the Detroit Pistons selected Darko Milicic with the No. 2 overall pick, the conditions necessary for a sustained rivalry were no longer in place.
“Not anything that has to do with Carmelo or LeBron’s basketball play,” Paul said. “It’s actually what they don’t control. And this is what people don’t understand. The moment the Detroit Pistons decided to take Darko Milicic, the opportunity of a rivalry is dead. Because now we see each other four times a year. You’re gonna beat me I’m going to beat you.”
Paul’s point centered less on how often James and Anthony faced each other and more on the absence of shared stakes. While they met regularly during the season, they rarely crossed paths in moments that defined conferences, playoff races or championship paths over an extended period.
Hypothetical Pistons landing could have changed Carmelo Anthony’s legacy
Max Kellerman expanded on that idea by pointing to a hypothetical scenario in which Anthony landed in Detroit rather than Denver.
“Actually if he went to Detroit he would've been whooping on LeBron,” Kellerman said.
Paul agreed, emphasizing how dramatically team context could have altered Anthony’s career trajectory.
“Of course because they had the better team,” Paul said.
While Detroit had not yet won its 2004 NBA championship at the time of the 2003 draft, the Pistons were already built as a veteran-heavy contender entering the 2003–04 season. That foundation quickly resulted in a title and multiple deep playoff runs, establishing Detroit as one of the Eastern Conference’s dominant teams during the early portion of James’ career. Had Anthony been drafted into that environment, he would have entered the league on a win-now roster in the same conference as James, potentially creating repeated postseason matchups and a more realistic path to a championship during his prime.
The conversation echoed recent remarks from former NBA guard Brandon Jennings, who said on Gil’s Arena that Anthony was never truly a rival to James despite frequent comparisons throughout their careers.
LeBron James dominated NBA matchups after early showdown with Anthony
That conclusion stands in contrast to the players’ early history. Before entering the NBA, James and Anthony shared a nationally anticipated high school matchup in Trenton, New Jersey. Anthony’s Oak Hill Academy defeated James’ St. Vincent–St. Mary High School 72–66. Anthony finished with 34 points and 11 rebounds, while James recorded 36 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
At the NBA level, James largely controlled the head-to-head results. He posted a 22–14 record against Anthony in regular-season matchups, averaging 25.8 points, 7.7 assists, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 50.2% from the field and 28.6% from 3-point range. Anthony averaged 21.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 42% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc.
Their postseason meetings were limited to two first-round series. James’ Miami Heat defeated Anthony’s New York Knicks 4–1 in 2012, and James’ Los Angeles Lakers beat Anthony’s Portland Trail Blazers by the same margin in 2020. Across 10 playoff games, James averaged 27.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.9 assists, while Anthony averaged 21.5 points and 6.6 rebounds.
The two ultimately became teammates during the 2021–22 season with the Lakers, Anthony’s final year in the NBA — underscoring Paul’s argument that their careers unfolded more in parallel than in rivalry.
