Carmelo

Tie game. Five seconds left. Ball in your hands. A 6’8”, 270-pound giant with more athleticism than he knows what to do with mimicking your every move. You give a jab step to the right and then throw a hesitation move for good measure. An inch of separation from the athletic freak foaming at the mouth is all you need, and for a split second you get it. Pouncing on the fleeting opportunity like a ravenous great white on an unsuspecting baby seal, you elevate. The feeble hand in your face serves only as a minor inconvenience because the outcome was predetermined. As soon as you got the ball you knew the shot was going in.
While this may be your dream, it is enviably Carmelo Anthony’s reality. With 1.9 ticks of the clock left in overtime, Anthony buried a 19-foot jumper over the aforementioned athletic virtuoso, LeBron James. The shot lifted his Denver Nuggets over Prince James’ Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time this season.
Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James have been inevitably connected for nearly a decade. The two had been endlessly scrutinized; compared against one another since their sterling High School McDonald’s All-American days. That is, up until a few years ago, when James clearly, yet inexplicably surpassed Anthony. Some blamed Anthony’s work ethic or desire. Others just chalked it up to James’ superior physical abilities. Perhaps it was a combination, but it was clear there was no longer a debate. Hell, Anothony was no longer even playing second fiddle to James. Dwayne Wade had emerged as the sole worthy adversary to Prince James from the vaunted 2003 Draft Class.
Starting with a mesmerizing, utterly convincing playoff run in 2009 by his Denver Nuggets and culminating in the miracle shot over James last week, Anthony has once again proven that these two superstars will forever be linked. That game winning shot was Anthony’s second coming, his reemergence to the basketball world at large. With one silky sweet stroke over James, Anthony thrust himself back into the conversation as one of the best in the game.
These two behemoths of basketball will forever be judged against the other’s accolades. For the first few years of their already storied careers, the NBA fruitlessly attempted to hype this as the paramount match up in the Association. Thankfully, there is no more need for such artificial hype. This inevitable Goliath vs. Goliath battle will surely delight fans for the next dozen years. Perhaps the NBA will finally get its own dream scenario of Carmelo vs. LeBron in the Finals this year. If it comes down to another last second shot you better believe my money is on Carmelo Anthony.