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20 years and counting, James says ‘it will always be a privilege and an honor’ to play with Anthony
After the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in the playoff photo, LeBron James recalled his friendship with fellow veteran Carmelo Anthony.
The 35-year-old Lakers superstar took to social media his appreciation for 36-year-old Anthony after Los Angeles advanced to the second round 131-122 on Sunday with a 4-1 series lead.
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“Spending 20 years of friendship to go out with my brother and it will always be a privilege and an honor to do what we love to do and that is great.” James wrote Monday in a heartfelt Instagram post, accompanied by two photos of them sharing a light moment.
“Never take these moments for granted because I don’t know how many more of us get together, but what I do know is that we have the rest of our lives afterwards to continue living to the fullest. I love CHAMP !!! “she added.
Their friendship and rivalry are born out of a deep and personal connection.
James and Anthony, in their 17th NBA seasons, were considered rivals in high school before joining forces for Team USA and the NBA All-Star teams.
It should be remembered that James of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and Anthony’s Oak Hill Academy met in Trenton, New Jersey in February 2002, a high school-packed game witnessed by 11,000 spectators according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Oak Hill took a 72-66 win, but the two made a show when the Akron boy dropped 36 points on 12 of 27 shooting to go with eight rebounds and five assists, while Anthony had 34 scores on 14 of 25. shot and 11 boards.
The two A’s from high school eventually landed in the biggest basketball league with James the No. 1 pick from the Draft Class of 2003, while Anthony came in third.
Various sports sites and magazines also featured the two NBA veterans from their rookie era in the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets, respectively.
Along with Miami Heat great Dwyane Wade and Oklahoma City Thunder Chris Paul, James and Anthony are part of the “Banana Boat” crew, which first formed in 2015 after a vacation photo appeared online. of them in a banana boat.
“Like I said, it’s very sobering and something we’ll talk about a lot after our careers. Not only battles not only as opponents as you see tonight, but also as teammates that you have seen in the All-Star Games and Olympics, ”James said in the post-Game 3 interview.
Anthony, for his part, tweeted a photo of them with the caption: “2003 or 2020? #TBT # STAYME7O “
Although set to become a free agent in the offseason, the 36-year-old Anthony has made it his mission to play again for the Trail Blazers, citing that he has “found a home in Portland.”
Portland is Anthony’s fifth team in the NBA, having played for the Nuggets (2003-2011), the New York Knicks (2011-2017), the Thunder (2017-2018) and the Houston Rockets (2018-2019).
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