Iman Shumpert Says He Was 'Forced to Hate' LeBron Before Knicks-Cavs Trade, Talks Carmelo Loyalty

Joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in January 2015 was a bit of a culture shock for Iman Shumpert.

The former guard spent his first four NBA seasons with the New York Knicks. He joked with Shannon Sharpe he "was forced to hate" LeBron James because of James' long-running competitive rivalry with Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.

Shumpert said his opinion changed once he shared a floor with LeBron and enjoyed all of the benefits that provided.

Reaching the 2015 Finals will have also helped shift his attitudes. He penned a four-year, $40 million extension with Cleveland that offseason.

Shumpert subsequently played a small role in the Cavs' improbable comeback against the Golden State Warriors in their 2016 rematch. He acknowledged he had his hands full guarding Warriors star Stephen Curry, though.

In terms of James and Anthony, there wasn't any personal animus between the two legends. While he didn't feature in the iconic photo, Anthony was a member of the 2015 banana boat group, which also included Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul. They eventually teamed up with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22.

Because they entered the league at the same time, LeBron and Carmelo's careers were always intertwined, however, and fans often chose sides. You were Team LeBron or Team Melo.

It sounds like the divide carried over to their NBA peers as well.