Iman Shumpert, former Cleveland Cavaliers player, recently shared his emotional experience of playing with two of the NBA’sgreatest players, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.
In the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Shumpert reflected on the “weird” situation he faced when playing against his former Knicks teammate, Carmelo Anthony, while with the Cavaliers.
Shumpert expressed, “I’m like, trying to process like, damn bro, like, one, this n– and Bron are like, arch enemies, you know what I’m saying? It’s like, they’re like everybody’s comic book right now. Like, why the f-k, why do I gotta be part of this?”
LeBron and Carmelo have been Iman’s mentors throughout his career
The discomfort of being caught in the middle of the rivalry between LeBron James and Anthony was hard for him to navigate, as Shumpert still saw Melo as a mentor and friend. However, it was LeBron who helped ease the situation and focus on his role within the team.
The former player also reflected on the experience of playing alongside two of the most talented players in NBA history.
“With Melo, he will find your weakness immediately. He’ll know it 100 percent, and he’ll keep it in his pocket to use when he needs to use it. LeBron will make it to where you can’t even play, you can’t even be on the floor right now because we’re going to expose it,” Shumpert compared.
The differences between James and Anthony
The difference in playing styles between both players reflected the contrasting ways they faced their rivals and teammates.
Shumpert was selected by the New York Knicks in 2011 and quickly earned recognition for his defensive skills and his ability to score crucial points. However, his career took a turn in January 2015 when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The most emotionally charged moment came when he played against the Knicks for the first time, a game in which he scored only 4 points. But LeBron James, understanding the situation, took charge of the victory with 18 points, allowing the Cavs to defeat the Knicks 101-83.
Shumpert’s legacy is not only marked by his contribution to the Cavaliers‘ historic win in 2016 but also by the deep loyalty he showed toward his teammates, even when situations were emotionally complex.
