“Yo champ, the time is now” - Carmelo Anthony reveals how LeBron James recruited him to LA Lakers
The LA Lakers will have the last two active players from the 2003 NBA draft, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, on their roster for the upcoming season.
The two players have never played for the same franchise before. LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony will not only team up this year, but they will also have a legitimate shot at winning the title together. The LA Lakers have put together one of the oldest yet experienced teams in the history of the league.
James and Anthony will play alongside the likes of Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, among others, for the 2021-22 NBA season. Several oddsmakers have ranked them second among the favorites to lift the NBA title next year.
Carmelo Anthony reveals what LeBron James said while recruiting him to LA Lakers
The LA Lakers have had a remarkable offseason. They had limited resources to work with after trading for Russell Westbrook. Nonetheless, the Lakers still managed to lure several star veteran players by offering them minimum deals.
LeBron James played a crucial role as a recruiter in that process. The LA Lakers talisman was key in recruiting Carmelo Anthony as well.
Anthony recently made an appearance on the 'Million Dollaz Worth of Game' podcast. When asked if LeBron James ever called him regarding joining the LA Lakers, Melo revealed the King did in fact reach out to recruit him to Los Angeles. He also revealed how the call went down. Here's what Carmelo Anthony mentioned regarding his conversation with LeBron:
“It was a real call, though. It wasn’t like no bulls**** I wasn’t expecting it from him. I mean we talked about it years before about getting together with each other, but now I heard it. And that's my brother, I know him since we was 15-16. I heard it. (LeBron said) 'Yo, I need you.'... He was like ‘Yo champ, the time is now. The time is now.'”
Carmelo on LeBron calling him to join the Lakers. ✊
(h/t @pickuphoop)
https://t.co/jlAgpa9lGy
The LA Lakers have faced criticism for their decision to build a squad with so many veterans aged 30 or more. Many have claimed that this recipe won't work for them.
Carmelo Anthony believes this season is championship or bust for him with the Lakers:
"If I was just to walk away from the game before, then I would have been at peace with [not getting a ring]. ... But now that perspective is totally different. Now I HAVE to win." https://t.co/h5HReVDfks
However, the Lakers' organization and the players seem to be confident this experiment will work.
Also Read: Who is Carmelo Anthony’s wife, Alani "La La" Vazquez?