LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony came into the league as young phenoms in the 2003 NBA Draft class.
Over the course of their careers, their friendship off the court never interfered with their rivalry on the court, having a number of memorable battles. Now, the two join forces with the Los Angeles Lakers for the upcoming season.
Before they take the floor as Lakers teammates, take a look at some images of their marquee moments and matchups to date.
2003 NBA Draft
As two highly-touted prospects, LeBron was selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft while Melo went No. 3 to the Denver Nuggets.
2003: First matchup
In just their fourth game in the NBA, the two young stars went toe-to-toe as Melo stole the win in their first of many matchups.
2003: Rookie-Sophomore Challenge
Remember when All-Star Weekend had the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge? Good times.
2004: First Team USA experience at Olympics in Greece
Team USA may have come up short of a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, but LeBron and Melo would make up for it with a pair of gold medals later down the line.
2007: First co-All-Star Game
The first of 10 All-Star Games together.
2008: The first of two gold medals together – Olympics in Beijing
Team USA took home the gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, with LeBron, Melo and company making up for the 2004 Olympics shortcoming.
2010: The best showdown of their career
This was without a doubt the best duel of their careers. LeBron tallied a triple-double of 43 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds, but the Nuggets would come away with the win behind Melo's 40 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one game-winning shot over LeBron.
2011: Same faces, new places
During LeBron's first year in Miami, Melo was traded by the Nuggets to the New York Knicks. This was the first meeting between the two draft classmates in new threads.
2012: The first battle at Madison Square Garden
Their first matchup at Madison Square Garden wouldn't come until the following season, but it didn't disappoint. LeBron had 29 points and 10 boards in a win, but Melo went off for 42 points.
2012: First All-Star Game as starters on the same team
With both superstars in the Eastern Conference, LeBron and Melo shared their first All-Star Game as teammates and starters in 2012.
2012: First playoff series
The Heat nearly swept the Knicks in LeBron and Melo's first playoff series against each other, but Melo went ballistic for 41 points to keep New York's hopes alive. Miami would go on to win the series and LeBron would later win the first NBA championship of his career during this postseason.
2012: Second of two gold medals together – Olympics in London
Another one. The last of two together, but Melo would go on to win a third gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
2013: Scoring champ Melo vs. MVP LeBron
2012-13 was a good year for this tandem. LeBron earned his second-consecutive MVP – the fourth of his career – while Melo took home his first scoring title, averaging 28.7 points per game.
2014: Opening Night with LeBron back in Cleveland
The NBA knew what it was doing, scheduling a LeBron versus Melo duel in his first game back in Cleveland.
2017: Last All-Star Game together
The last of 10 All-Star Games together. What a run.
2018: A new location for Melo
It's still strange to see Melo in that Oklahoma City Thunder blue...
2018: First matchup with LeBron in LA and Melo in Houston
It's even stranger to see Melo in the Houston Rockets' red. This was a can't-miss moment, though – their first matchup with LeBron in Los Angeles.
2019: Attending Dwyane Wade's last game
You knew they weren't going to miss D-Wade's #LastDance.
2019: Melo's back – first LA-Portland matchup
After a full year of being out of the NBA, Melo came back with a vengeance, proving he still had more to give. These two teams would later face off in the first round of the playoffs in the NBA Bubble.
2020: Second playoff showdown – NBA Bubble Edition
Their second (and likely last) playoff duel, given they'll probably be competing in the playoffs for the same team for the foreseeable future.
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