Chauncey Billups believes LeBron James would’ve left the Cleveland Cavaliers sooner if Carmelo Anthony had joined the Detroit Pistons.
Billups, now the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, recently shared his thoughts on the 2003 NBA Draft.
The Pistons selected Darko Milicic at No. 2, passing on Anthony, who went to the Denver Nuggets at No. 3.
Reflecting on this decision, Billups speculated on how it could have impacted LeBron James’ career.
“We win at least 3 chips, bruh,” Billups said, confident in the potential success of a Pistons team with Anthony.
Billups added that LeBron would have had a harder time in the Eastern Conference if the Pistons had drafted Anthony.
“I say it all the time, I’d be on ’em I said, ‘Bron woulda had to leave Cleveland a lot earlier than he left ’cause they never was gon’ beat us,'” Billups stated.
Anthony, who became a star with the Nuggets, could have changed the landscape of the NBA if he had been drafted by Detroit.
James eventually left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in 2010, forming a superteam with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Billups’ comments highlight the significant “what if” scenarios in NBA history.
The Pistons won the 2004 NBA Championship without Anthony, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
Despite their success, fans often wonder how many more titles the Pistons could have won with Anthony.
