"Y'all don't give a f**k about me" - Carmelo Anthony reveals 'flipping' in locker room over Knicks trading key pieces to LeBron James' Cavaliers
Carmelo Anthony was not happy when the New York Knicks traded two key players to the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the 2014-15 NBA season. The Cavs acquired Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, who both helped LeBron James bring a championship to Cleveland in 2016.
On a recent episode of the "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast released on Tuesday, Anthony revealed that he "flipped out" after learning about the trade. The Knicks were having a rough season, so team president Phil Jackson decided to free up cap space to target free agents in the summer of 2015.
"F**k them," Anthony said. "I told 'Bron, 'That's what we doing?' When it happened, the only thing going through my mind, 'Bron, I know this is a chess game. I got to get these guys away from him.' S**t is f**ked up over there. I could use Shump and J.R. to go win a championship.
The Knicks legend added:
"That's why I flipped out like that in the locker room. Because I'm like, 'You do not touch this nucleus right here.' I don't give a f**k what you do. I said, 'Yo, y'all can't say s**t to me. Do you know what the f**k you did? Y'all gon' send them to him? We're building to go against this. 'Y'all don't give a f**k about me. This s**t is nasty.'"
Carmelo Anthony missed the rest of that season after the All-Star break due to a knee injury. The Knicks finished 17-65, the second-worst record in the NBA. They landed the fourth pick in the 2015 NBA draft, selecting Kristaps Porzingis, who eventually grew disillusioned with the franchise and demanded a trade in 2019.
Anthony spent two more years in New York before being traded to the OKC Thunder. The Knicks parted ways with Phil Jackson after the 2016-17 season, with no playoff appearances during his tenure as team president.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, advanced to the NBA Finals with Shumpert and Smith serving as key role players. They broke through the following year, winning the championship, and returned to the Finals in 2017 and 2018.
Carmelo Anthony teamed up with LeBron James during the 2021-22 NBA season
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony came to the NBA at the same as part of the famed 2003 draft class along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They first met in high school and became friends. They often spent offseasons together, taking their families on vacations.
They finally had a chance to team up during the 2021-22 NBA season when Anthony signed with the LA Lakers. He primarily came off the bench, while James remained one of the best players in the world despite his age.
Anthony lasted just one year in Hollywood and went unsigned during the 2022-23 NBA season. He announced his retirement in May 2023.