Carmelo Anthony Doesn’t Share LeBron James’ Goal of Playing in NBA With Son

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Carmelo Anthony does not share LeBron James’ goal of wanting to play in the NBA with his son.

Speaking to ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth during a Summer League game on Tuesday, Anthony said he would rather pass the torch to his son instead of try to hang around long enough to play next to him.

James told The Athletic’s Jason Quick in February that his final season “will be played with my son” no matter where that is.

“Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point,” James said.

There are some differences between Bronny James and Kiyan Anthony that make it more viable for LeBron to play with his son.

Bronny is 17 years old and will be draft eligible in 2024. LeBron will be 39 years old when his son could potentially make it to the NBA.

Kiyan Anthony is only 15 and won’t be draft eligible for four more years. Carmelo will be 42 years old at that point. The oldest active player in the NBA is Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who just turned 42 on June 9.

Carmelo has been able to extend his career in recent seasons by playing primarily off the bench. The future Hall of Famer could potentially stay in that role for a few more years. He averaged 13.3 points on 37.5 percent three-point shooting in 69 games last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.