Throwback Thursday: LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony Square off in High School
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are the two biggest names in this summer's NBA free-agent class. Back in 2002, they were just two high school stars showing everyone what they could do.
In February 2002, James' St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio) and Anthony's Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia) squared off in Trenton, New Jersey. According to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, more than 11,000 people packed Sovereign Bank Arena to watch the showdown between the country's top junior and the nation's best senior.
Both players lived up to the hype that night.
James dropped 36 points on 12-of-27 shooting, and he also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists. Anthony put up 34 points on 14-of-25 shooting and had 11 rebounds.
In a battle of two young stars, it was Anthony's team that pulled out the victory, 72-66, and moved to 25-1 on the season.
James (No. 1) and Anthony (No. 3) would each be selected within the first three picks of the 2003 NBA draft, and their rivalry hasn't let up to this day. Through the end of the 2013-14 NBA season, Anthony currently holds an 11-10 lead in head-to-head matchups with James.
[YouTube]
