Report: Melo Claims He Compelled LeBron To Go Home To Cleveland
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Did LeBron James return to Cleveland because he was inspired by Carmelo Anthony?
That's what Anthony thinks.
And if you are confused by that, the Knicks' star says there's a simple explanation.
In an interview with Adweek, Anthony says James spurned the Miami Heat and went back to the Cavaliers because he saw the royal treatment Anthony received when he forced a trade from the Denver Nuggets to the Knicks in 2011.
So, in other words, Melo thinks he coined "I'm coming home" long before James perfected it.
"I think he saw when I came back home to New York and saw the response and saw the reaction and saw how at peace I was when I came back home. … I'm pretty sure he looked at that moment and saw that that was a very special moment, and he had the opportunity to go back home himself and regain that love," said Anthony, who was raised in Brooklyn.
In case you don't remember, Anthony was treated like a conquering hero upon his arrival, with MSG Network rolling out a series of spots like the following:
The Knicks and their fans basically worshipped the man in the hours and days leading up to his debut against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 23, 2011, a game the Knicks won thanks to Anthony's 27 points and 10 rebounds.
Anthony's time's with the Knicks since has been up and down and his popularity has dropped off somewhat, depending on who you talk to. He's put up tremendous individual numbers, but the team has just one playoff series win and failed to make the postseason this past season.
Anthony, who turned 30 back in May, opted out of his contract this summer and went on a tour of potential landing spots before deciding to take a slightly discounted deal with the Knicks that will pay him $124 million over the next five years.
James signed a two-year, $42.1 million deal with the Cavaliers that features an opt-out clause that can be exercised after the 2014-15 season.
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