Carmelo Anthony’s best chance at winning it all
By Kyle Jones
A prideful player
Anthony and Paul are the only Superfriends out of the 2003 draft class to not win a championship. He has to be feeling the burn by now if he hasn’t already. It took Dwayne Wade only three years, with the help of Shaquille O’Neal, to win his first championship. LeBron James had his first shot at it after just four years in the NBA, the year after Wade was first crowned a champion. He inevitably fell short to the San Antonio Spurs but it was a start. In 2011, he joined forces with another member of 2003 draft class, Chris Bosh, and formed a superteam with Wade in South Beach. All three of them have now won championships.
LeBron, not slowing down, also managed to bring a championship to Cleveland in 2016.
Now, Bosh’s career has been cut short by life-threatening blood clots, Wade returned to his hometown and James is still the best player in the game. Anthony is in a losing situation on a team that won’t be championship contenders and doesn’t want him either.
The numbers across the board for the four superstars look like this: Wade has three NBA championship and a Finals MVP; Bosh has two well-deserved championships; James has four MVP trophies, three NBA championships and three Finals MVPs and counting.
Carmelo has to want to feel victorious alongside his peers.
Anthony won’t be counted on to be the primary scoring option, which should be a benefit to him as he’ll look much more like Team USA Carmelo. He’ll have the best roster he’s played with since the 2008-2009 season with the Denver Nuggets. That was as close to a championship Anthony has gotten; after being ultimately defeated by Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
The Cavs can use Anthony’s scoring ability, size and strength in the post to accentuate their championship caliber team. At the most, Anthony will be asked to protect the ball, put up efficient numbers and deliver with the heart of a warrior he has been playing with over the course of his career.
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