Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers escorts Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets after a fight.
The banana boat crew may all play for different teams (or in Melo’s case, no team) but that doesn’t stop LeBron James from getting in offseason workouts with his friends. While James is still one of the league’s premier players and one-half of the superstar Lakers duo, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony find themselves in very different situations. Once all superstars in the league, Carmelo hasn’t played in an NBA game since 2018 while Paul was recently traded to the Thunder – and may find himself on the move again before too long.
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LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony Get in Early Morning Offseason Workout
Bron got jokes for Chris Paul and Melo in the gym 🤣
(via @CP3)
In his Instagram story before this video, Paul pictured himself pulling up to the facility at 4:49 am ready to put some work in with his longtime friends. James has repeatedly documented himself rising at the crack of dawn to hit the gym and seems to be dragging his friends along now as well.
In the video, LeBron is behind the camera and can be heard making fun of Paul for complaining about Melo’s weights being lighter while Melo does some pushups in the background. While nearly impossible for LeBron’s Lakers to land Chris Paul given his contract situation, Melo is still available and the Lakers have an additional roster spot that they are looking to fill.
Carmelo Anthony Worth Shot With Last Roster Spot?
As mentioned above, the Lakers have one remaining roster spot left and Carmelo Anthony is desperate for another shot in the league. Despite the narrative surrounding Carmelo, the fact remains that he is far from “washed” and is still one of the top bucket getters available on the market. Melo’s struggles to stay in the league haven’t necessarily been due to his basketball abilities more as it has been about his ability to adapt to a new role off the bench.
Despite still being one of the best pure scorers around, Melo’s age is catching up to him and the superstar isn’t as quick as he was in his younger days. While the ball-dominant scorer isn’t as effective taking 20+ shots per game in a starting role, he can still provide considerable value as a rotational player his team can lean on to go out and get a basket when their offense inevitably slows down. However, Melo seemingly struggled to accept his new role on the Thunder after leaving the Knicks before being passed over altogether during his time in Houston.
The Lakers’ last roster spot likely won’t see the court all that much, however, could still provide some impactful minutes to the team. While the Laker bench is populated with spot-up shooters and defenders, Melo’s ability to go out and create his own looks is something the bench unit is lacking. While he shouldn’t be expected to see the court 20+ minutes per night, he could prove to be a valuable weapon if deployed in the right situations off the bench.