Carmelo Anthony on LeBron James: ‘You the GM’

When Carmelo Anthony fell from the NBA a couple years ago, plenty of rumors swirled about him joining his old friend LeBron James on the Lakers. But a contract never came for Anthony. The prevailing storyline: LeBron blessed the Lakers signing Anthony, but the front office didn’t.

This summer, Anthony said LeBron called with a simple message: “The time is now.”

Anthony signed with the Lakers and is expanding further on their conversation.

Anthony on “Million Dollaz Worth of Game":

It was a real call, though. It wasn’t like no bulls***. It was a real call. I wasn’t expecting it from him. I mean, we talked about it years before, about getting with each other. But I heard it, and that’s my brother. I’ve known him since we was 15, 16. I heard it. “Yo, I need you.” Say less. You ain’t gotta say nothing. I already knew what time it is when you hit me direct. The GM ain’t hit me. You the GM, n****. He hit me. He was like, “Yo, champ. The time is now.” And you felt it. I felt it.

Anthony isn’t alone in believing LeBron controls the Lakers’ front office. He might not be involved in every move, but his voice matters – especially when he wants it to.

Which makes it more curious Los Angeles didn’t sign Anthony a couple years ago, when he was more desperate.

Credit Anthony for not wanting to jeopardize their friendship and digging into why the LeBron-led team didn’t offer him a contract. Some things matter more than work/basketball.

Now, Anthony (who rehabbed his value with the Trail Blazers) get to play together at long last.