Could There Be a Better NBA Finals Matchup Than LeBron vs. Melo?

LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony. Bragging rights among the consensus top two picks in the historic 2003 NBA Draft. And yes, I realize that Detroit hilariously and mistakenly took Darko Milicic second overall instead of Melo.

By Jason M. Williams

LeBron was the mega-star coming out of St. Vincent’s St. Mary’s High School in Ohio. Melo was fresh off winning a national title at Syracuse. Who went with first overall pick? LeBron.

The two new franchise faces went head-to-head for the 2003-04 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Who won? LeBron.

Each guy puts winning as a team ahead of himself. But who was the first to take his team to the NBA Finals? LeBron in 2007.

Hell, Carmelo didn’t even reach the second round of the playoffs until this year. But now that he has Chauncey Billups sharing the load, it is finally time to expand the potential Finals suitors to include the Denver Nuggets.

LeBron and Carmelo are often compared two one another because they play the same position, but they are remarkably different in the way they play the game. Each is a unique player who has lifted his respective franchise to new heights. Together, they shared the stage as they led the United States back to the top of the international basketball world when they captured the Gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Now, perhaps they might square off in a couple weeks, with the game’s ultimate prize on the line – the NBA championship trophy – and bragging rights over the other.