The addition of Carmelo Anthony to the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is one that was seemingly meant to happen a long time ago. The Lakers and Anthony have been linked together over the years, and with LeBron James joining the franchise in 2018, many assumed it was only a matter of time before he was in Purple and Gold.
Of course, it didn’t happen when many assumed it would, but ultimately it has finally come to fruition as the Lakers signed Carmelo to a one-year deal this summer, pairing him up with LeBron for the first time in their careers. And it was a call from James himself that convinced Anthony to join.
Carmelo recently appeared on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast and discussed exactly how the call from James went down and how it resonated with him (H/T Pickuphoop):
“It was a real call. I wasn’t expecting it from him. I mean we talked about it years before about getting with each other, but I heard it. And that’s my brother I’ve known him since we were 15-16 years old I heard it. ‘Yo, I need you.’ Say less. You ain’t gotta say nothing else, I already know what time it is. You hit me, direct. The GM ain’t hit me, you the GM […] He hit me and he was like, ‘Yo champ, the time is now’ and you felt it. I felt it, I felt like the time is now right now. It’s just a different vibe, it’s a different aura, a different energy around it. The time is now.”
It is interesting that Anthony admits he wasn’t expecting a call from James, but the effect it had remained the same. Anthony’s brother gave him a call to come in and help both of them accomplish a goal and there was no hesitation on Carmelo’s end.
It’s also worth noting that Anthony says he heard it in James’ voice and that there is a different energy, which just goes to show how serious it is for LeBron and the rest of the Lakers. While some may doubt them, the players on this team are extremely motivated to win a championship this season and prove a lot of people wrong.
All it took was one call for Anthony to get on board, and now he and James together have the opportunity to help each other cement their legacies.
Anthony says Lakers must win championship ‘by any means’
Anthony has accomplished nearly everything he can in his NBA career except for winning a championship and he plans on changing that in Purple and Gold. Carmelo said that had he not joined the Lakers it wouldn’t have bothered him, but now that he’s here, the team has to bring home that Larry O’Brien trophy.
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