Carmelo Anthony on wanting the Knicks to go toe-to-toe with Miami's "Big 3": "We were going to give them a run and see what happens"

The summer of 2010 changed the NBA's landscape forever. That offseason, all-time greats LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh teamed up to form a "Big 3" that would give any trio in league history a run for their money. With all three players in the thick of their prime, many experts and fans lamented the development, fearing that the league would become dominated by super teams.

But one player who wasn't afraid of the challenge was Carmelo Anthony . The All-Star forward believed the New York Knicks had something going and bet on his team to go toe-to-toe with the star-studded Heat. Asked on "Podcast P" if he regrets not joining his "Banana Boat" buddies on the Heat in 2010, Melo emphatically said he believed staying with the Knicks was the right call.

The seeds were planted in 2004

According to Melo, he, D-Wade, and Bron were eager to team up after they painfully finished with only the bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Bosh entered the picture when they all played for the "Redeem Team" that captured the gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. By then, there was a plan for them to play together, albeit they didn't know where.

However, when it came time to put pen to paper, Bron, Wade, and Bosh ended up in Miami, while the former Syracuse star stayed in New York. Melo explained that his decision was intentional, driven by his unwavering belief that the Knicks were building toward something with him leading the way.

"I can't do that because I knew I was intentional when I got to New York about what I wanted to do. I knew they were down there, and I thought if I could come to New York and we could make this work, we would compete against them," the ten-time All-Star stressed .

Although Melo's supporting cast wasn't on the same level as Wade and Bosh, players like Tyson Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, and JR Smith weren't chopped liver.

"We were going to give them a run and see what happens. Let's at least build something. Let's start building in New York. We knew at the end of the day, in the next couple of years, we wanted to meet up there with them," the six-time All-NBA team member shared.

Related: "My head hurt for like two days" - When Charles Barkley learned not to drink beer with Larry Bird

Nobody else had that mindset

Unfortunately, Carmelo said he felt like the only one with that frame of mind. While the Heat went on to win back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, the farthest the Knicks got in that period was a second-round appearance, where they lost to the Indiana Pacers, 4-2.

"It seemed like nobody else had that plan. I was the only one with that mindset," the NBA 75th Anniversary Team member uttered. "I was taking the darts for being selfish, for no defense, bad coaching, not being coachable, and running my way out of Denver."

Being the main attraction of a high-profile squad like the Knicks has many perks. However, the constant scrutiny and criticism that come with it can also be incredibly draining. Despite all the challenges, Melo remained committed to his goal of bringing a championship back to New York until the team traded him to Oklahoma City in 2017.

Related: "He was supposed to ride the sunset out in Denver" - Carmelo Anthony on why it was bittersweet to hear about Billups-Iverson swap