Carmelo Anthony Reveals Why He Rejected Miami Heat’s Offer During the Big 3 Era
Carmelo Anthony has finally set the record straight on why he chose not to join the Miami Heat during the height of the Big 3 era with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. In a podcast episode with Paul George on July 22, Anthony explained that he wasn’t mentally prepared to be the fourth option on such a star-studded team.
Anthony confirmed that he, James, and Wade had discussed teaming up years before the pivotal 2010 NBA free agency but were unsure which team they would join. They considered big market teams like the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks as potential destinations.
However, Anthony removed himself from the Super Team equation when he signed a five-year rookie contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, unlike his fellow 2003 Draft classmates who signed three-year deals. This decision meant that James, Wade, and Bosh entered free agency three years later and formed their highly-publicized union with the Heat.
Anthony praised his peers for their financial sacrifices to fit under the Heat’s payroll, noting that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh accepted salaries slightly below the maximum range, between $14 million and $16 million.
The former All-Star admitted he lacked the business acumen to foresee the potential of such a free-agency move and wasn’t ready to leave significant money on the table or abandon his situation with the Nuggets, who were consistent playoff contenders at the time.
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“At the time of the collective bargaining agreement, I didn’t understand contracts in three years or five years,” Anthony explained on the podcast. “I knew a little bit but wasn’t business-savvy enough to understand what was to happen. In my situation, I was in Denver, and I didn’t want to leave, so why take a three-year deal?”
Anthony also revealed a personal reason for not joining the Heat: he didn’t want to be the fourth option behind LeBron, Wade, and Bosh.
“At that time, I wasn’t ready to partner and team up with anyone because I was building my own thing in Denver. Imagine me at 23 or 24 years old being the fourth option on a team when I was leading my team every year. I didn’t know mentally how I would handle that.”
Anthony eventually joined the Knicks in a three-team, multi-player deal in February 2011. He served as the franchise player for the Knicks for seven seasons and played for five more teams before ending his Hall of Fame career with the Lakers in 2022.
Anthony averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over 19 NBA seasons, earning 10 All-Star selections and six All-NBA team honors, with one scoring title in 2013.
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