Carmelo Anthony dropped a piece of NBA history that’ll make Bulls fans wonder what could have been. On Podcast P with Paul George, Anthony said he and LeBron James seriously considered teaming up in Chicago during their primes.
“Me and Bron wanted it to be New York or Chicago. Chicago was in the fold. If we find a place, let it be Chicago,” Anthony said.
This wasn’t some casual barbershop talk. It was 2014. Both were free agents. Anthony had just finished a season with the Knicks. James was coming off a Finals loss to the Spurs with Miami. The Bulls had Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, a rising Jimmy Butler, and Tom Thibodeau running the defense. That roster was built to win now.
So why didn’t it happen?
Anthony said the front office situation in Chicago gave him pause. He decided to stay in New York. James went back to Cleveland, where he’d eventually win a title in 2016. Anthony played three more seasons with the Knicks before his career started winding down.
The Bulls still made the playoffs in 2015. They ran into James and the Cavs in the second round and lost. You can draw a pretty direct line from Anthony’s decision to that outcome.
It’s weird to think about now. LeBron and Melo were two of the biggest names in the league. They were friends off the court. Teaming up in Chicago would’ve changed the Eastern Conference landscape for years. Rose was still an MVP-level guard. Noah was Defensive Player of the Year. Butler was turning into a star. Add Anthony’s scoring and James’ everything, and that’s a title favorite.
But it never got past the discussion stage. The Knicks were Anthony’s team, and he wasn’t ready to leave. James had unfinished business in Cleveland. The Bulls got left as the third option.
Anthony didn’t say anything about regrets on the podcast. But he made it clear the idea was real. Two of the best players of their generation almost picked the same city. Chicago was that close.
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