In the early 2010s, LeBron James gained the ire of many people for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to form a superteam with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat .
When he joined the league in 2011, former NBA shooting guard Iman Shumpert felt that he needed to enter the hate train, especially since he, superstar Carmelo Anthony , and the rest of the New York Knicks were among the many casualties of the legendary Heatles during that period.
However, everything changed when Shumpert was traded to the Cavaliers in 2015, the same season the King returned to the Land. And Shumpert had no problem dropping the act, knowing how great James was.
"I was forced to hate him. You ain't going to win the rings every year. I'm in this b—ch. Just win all the rings, bro. I was big on that," he said on "Club Shay Shay". "I just been trained to be Melo homie. Like you and Melo homies, but I'm not supposed to be your homie."
The 2010-2011 season was full of seismic moves. It was not only James who rocked the league, but also Anthony , who left the Denver Nuggets , his team of eight years, in search of better winning opportunities at Madison Square Garden.
In the following year, which was Carmelo's second in New York, the Knicks selected Shumpert 17th overall out of Georgia Tech. He immediately understood the league's power dynamic.
Miami had Wade and James. Boston had the "Big 3". Los Angeles had Kobe . OKC had Kevin Durant . Finally, New York had Melo — and role players like Shumpert needed to follow his lead.
With loyalty fully pledged to the Knicks and Melo, Shump fought many legendary playoff battles with them, including an Eastern Conference Semifinal clash against Bron and the Heat.
Although Carmelo failed to lead the Knicks to the promised land, Iman carried that loyalty beyond the court and ultimately, when he got dealt to the Cavs.
"I feel like Melo, if I was out and about one day in the summer my second year, and I'm just out hanging with Bron, I feel like Melo would be looking at that like, 'What's up with you?' he said. "I had this loyalty to Melo where I had to get used to being [teammates with] Bron."
Shumpert had a solid four-year stint with the Knicks, averaging 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists. However, he peaked during his time with the Cavaliers , and it's all thanks to James.
By then, LeBron was already a four-time MVP and two-time Finals MVP. He elevated his teammates. LBJ's generational IQ and playmaking, combined with his monster athleticism, transformed the Cavs into title contenders.
"Once you on the court with him and he just out there making it easy for you," Shumpert said.
Ultimately, in 2016, King James steered the franchise to its first NBA title. And the 6'5" shooting guard did his role as a reliable 3-and-D player to make that happen. It may not have been a bigger role when Iman was with the Knicks. But it gave him his first ring – and he'd choose that over anything and make sure to let Melo know.
"Melo, he ain't so bad, bro. Cool for real, bro," he joked as he held an imaginary phone. "I ain't going to lie, he cool. He passed that b—ch though for real. Like we get money over here."
Now, over four years since his last NBA stint, Shumpert has nothing but praise for the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. Iman knows LeBron deserves it, and any hate toward him and his legacy would be unreasonable.
Related: "He is ChatGPT" - Iman Shumpert breaks down LeBron James' 23-season tactical dominance
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
