Carmelo Anthony has become the elder statesman and leader of the Team USA’s mens basketball team for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Anthony is the only player in U.S men’s basketball history to compete in four Olympics. He just passed Michael Jordan to become the United States’ third all-time leading scorer in the Olympics, behind David Robinson and LeBron James. Anthony has six All-NBA selections, nine All-Star Game appearances, and a scoring title to add to his three Olympic gold medals but there’s one thing noticeably missing from his Hall of Fame resume, an NBA championship. It’s obvious the Knicks aren’t heading for one in the near future but Anthony is not only optimistic, he’s at peace.
He doesn’t listen to the pundits judging and criticizing what’s missing from his game and his career.
He’d prefer to listen to peers such as Team USA point guard Kyrie Irving, who asserted the other day that an NBA championship and a gold medal are “pretty much the same.”
“I believe so,” Anthony said in support of Irving’s proclamation, insisting he finds tremendous satisfaction in his status as the only four-time Olympian in U.S. men’s basketball history … with a record third gold medal now just six wins away.
“I believe so.”
Irving of course knows what it’s like to win an NBA championship and it’s fresh in his mind as he and the Cleveland Cavaliers just won over the Golden State Warriors in June. Though Irving has played with Team USA in the FIBA world championships, this is his first Olympics, and would possibly be his first win.
Still, WE can try and speculate how each feels and what they mean to the players, but only THEY actually know and experience it.
source: ESPN
