It has not been pretty for USA basketball so far in Rio. After near losses to both Serbia and France, Carmelo Anthony and company start the medal round against Argentina who will have a significant portion of the crowd on their side. Team USA leader Carmelo Anthony has had an interesting Olympic experience going for his third gold medal while trying to defend his championless NBA career.
This is a battle Anthony cannot win and doesn’t need to embark on. Anyone with any basketball brain is well aware Melo is a Hall of Fame player. The shot is pure, he can score on the block and from behind the arc. And, to his credit mostly, Anthony has also never chased a title by jumping teams like LeBron James and now Kevin Durant. Melo is not on their level, but he has stayed true to New York, mainly because he likes living in New York.
In all likelihood, Anthony is never going to win an NBA championship something he seems to be coming to grips with defending himself in Rio saying “I don’t know why people think that a gold medal is any different than winning an NBA championship.”
Come on, Melo. It’s different because you are playing with the best basketball players on the planet against countries that are not close to yours in talent. Losing is an embarrassment, while winning will be politely applauded. Good job. Thanks for not embarrassing the country.
Remember, Anthony has plenty of company from numerous Hall of Fame players who didn’t win an NBA championship ring starting with Charles Barkley and Karl Malone. Those two also won gold on the 1992 Dream Team. Melo can start defending his career there if he wants, not by counting his Olympic gold medals.