The question of whether LeBron James is loyal enough or enough of a real friend to Carmelo Anthony to help him get a job in the NBA has suddenly become a talking point after ex-NBA player Royce White’s statements about LeBron’s support, or lack thereof, for Anthony. However, one former teammate of LeBron’s says that he’s tried to get Carmelo Anthony on his team in the past, even if he hasn’t with the Lakers yet.
LeBron’s former teammate and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins replied to White on twitter, saying that decision makers have told LeBron “no” several times and that he attempted to bring Anthony in when he was on the Cavaliers.
Obviously, it would be a mistake to talk about Anthony joining those past Cavaliers teams in the context in which they took place. When Anthony was paid like a max-level player on the New York Knicks, trading for him would have cost the Cavaliers a big money contract in exchange, such as Tristan Thompson or Kevin Love, players who were integral to their team. Eventually, Anthony was traded to Oklahoma City where he played during LeBron’s final season in Cleveland.
So even though LeBron “wanted” Melo, the process of getting him back when he was on the Cavs was basically impossible. Whereas now, Anthony continues to sit on the free agent market waiting for a call from a team while several have an open roster spot to add him.
