Over the years, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade have been more than basketball superstars to one another. They have shared a deep friendship, one that has taken them on vacations together, and on Friday, housebound because of the novel coronavirus, Anthony and Wade savored wine and looked back on one of the scarier moments of their friendship.
In an Instagram Live chat, they spoke of a number of things, including their memories of Kobe Bryant. But there was also an intensely personal recollection that came at the prompting of Wade’s wife, Gabrielle Union. The Bahamas was a favorite destination of Wade and James when they were teammates, and Chris Paul and Anthony often joined them there. (Who can forget the banana boat images that fueled speculation of a super team?)
But once, while snorkeling, it turns out that James saved Anthony from drowning in a scary incident that Anthony said still has him “sweating right now thinking about that.”
Anthony said he had only himself to blame for the near-death experience because, as everybody was returning to their boat after snorkeling to a “little grotto,” Anthony lingered, “trying to see the last little bit of the barracudas snorkeling and all that. It was my fault. Then I look up and the current is taking me in the middle of the ocean opposite from the boat.”
Wade said the group couldn’t see him. “(It) was windy,” Anthony said. “All types of s--- was going on through my head, I’ll be honest with you. Then I look up at the boat, and I see Bron jumps off the boat like he’s MacGyver. He jumps off the boat into the water. He was bringing me back with one arm. He’s swimming with the other arm. He’s carrying me in one arm.”
Maybe more like something out of “Baywatch,” but we digress.
“Listen, I’ve told people this story before,” Wade said. “I’ve seen LeBron do lots of amazing things on the court. Off the court, when he went and saved (Anthony’s) life.”
“He saved my life, he saved my life,” Anthony echoed. “Yo, Bron, I appreciate that; you saved my life that day. Them little flippers wasn’t working for me.”
