LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – As consistent as the Lakers’ upcoming playoff series against the Trail Blazers may seem, the stakes can’t compare to the literal life-and-death circumstances that LA’s LeBron James and Portland’s Carmelo Anthony were in during a Holiday of Bahamas.
James, Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul – affectionately known as the crew of the banana boat – were on a summer excursion with their families years ago when a boat trip in the ocean went awry.
After several of the All-Stars jumped into the water to explore a cave and explore marine life, Anthony broke up when the group returned to the boat.
“I just knew he wasn’t in the boat with the rest of us, so I went out in search of him,” James said Monday at a video conference. “And by the grace of God and by strength and not afraid of the water, I was able to help him get back to the boat. The only thing that bothered me at that point and time was to get my brother back to the boat. . “
Anthony, who will play James and the Lakers in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series on Tuesday, originally shared the story of being rescued in an Instagram Live video with Wade and Wade’s wife, Gabrielle Union, back in March.
“I look up, the current takes me in the middle of the ocean,” Anthony said. “Like opposite the boat.”
“We could not see you!” Wade intervened.
“And it was wind,” Anthony said. “All kinds of s — went in my head. I’ll be honest with you.”
Anthony turned his gaze to the boat and saw James rush to pick him up. Anthony said James’ jump from the boat reminded him of the 1980s TV character MacGyver. Wade said it was more than James’ old Nike ad, The LeBrons, where “Business LeBron” jumps high.
Anthony admitted he did not know what would have happened if not for James’ help.
“He saved my life,” he told Wade on Instagram. “Yo, Bron, I appreciate it. You saved my life that day. Those little flippers didn’t work for me.”
“I do not know, it’s a blessing, honestly,” James said when asked how much danger Anthony really was to the rescue. “I don’t really know what to say to be honest. I’m just glad he’s still here, of course.”
James and Anthony, who came together in the league in the introduced 2003 NBA draft, will face each other in the postseason for just the second time in their 17-year careers. James’ Miami Heat defeated Anthony’s New York Knicks 4-1 in the first round in 2012.
It’s been two years since James last appeared in the postseason and it’s been seven years since the Lakers franchise. After securing the no. 1 seed in the West, LA’s reward plays a hot Blazers team that the no. 8-seed earned with a 7-2 record in the bubble. All games will be played on a neutral side, canceling out the advantage of the home court that comes with being the higher seed.
“Probably the hardest,” James said of his prospects for the season. “It’s the hardest championship run for me personally. From the circumstances of just being here.”
The conditions may be better than lost at sea, but James detailed the challenges.
“What else is there for me in this environment? What keeps me going for an opponent and individuals has not changed. What else is this environment, not home,” he said. “Not with my family, not in my own bed, I’m not in our own training facility. I’m not preparing to be at Staples [Center] tomorrow with our fans. I am not dealing with many things that are essential to my daily regimen. So that’s something else. “
The Lakers’ practice looked a little different on Monday with Rajon Rondo returning to court with the team for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair a fractured right thumb almost five weeks ago.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the veteran point guard is medically clear to play, but is “unlikely” to appear in court Tuesday.
“We’ll see how he responds to his work today,” Vogel said. “I do not know yet if he will be active … this is the first time he has been playing basketball with anyone other than himself for a few weeks now, or since the injury to his hand. … We will take it day after day, see how he continues with his conditioning, rhythm and timing and how his hand responds to the added work. “
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