Carmelo Anthony will be reunited with Mike D’Antoni in early July when Team USA convenes for training camp in Las Vegas. But how long the two stick together remains to be seen.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported that Anthony’s role in D’Antoni’s departure as head coach of the New York Knicks “did not sit well” with USA Basketball officials, who have always pointed to “sweat equity” as one of the key factors in who will represent the United States on the 12-man roster at this summer’s London Olympics.
Anthony has certainly put in his time, has said he enjoys FIBA basketball more than NBA basketball, and could join Dwyane Wade and LeBron James as three-time Olympians — if he makes the cut.
Anthony was Team USA’s best player at the 2006 World Championship in Japan, and he was a member of the bronze medal-winning U.S. team at the Athens Olympics in 200 and the gold-medal-winning Redeem Team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he played power forward for an undersized American team.
But the 20-man preliminary Team USA roster announced earlier this year includes natural power forwards LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin, which could make Anthony superfluous.
“I don’t even think Carmelo is thinking about this, but I think it’s going to hurt him,” the international basketball source told Berger. “I don’t think he’s playing as well as the other power forwards are right now. He’s not a bad guy, but he needs to start playing better because the USA team is looking at that, and Mike is an assistant. It should not be given to him.”
The toughest team the Americans will face is Spain, and lots of folks believe – incorrectly — that Ricky Rubio’s absence will have an adverse effect on the Spaniards.
But that is not the case because of the presence of Jose Calderon and Juan Carlos Navarro, as Chris Sheridan discusses with CineSport’s Noah Coslov in the video posted above.
i agree he should go play for PR.
They should let him play with michael beasley,
And udonis hasslem for puerto rico!!!
It would be like this
Jj barea,Carlos arroyo,Carmelo anthony
Michael beasley,Udonis hasslem,Renaldo balkman
Daniel santiago,Peter john ramos
Riky sanchez,Andres rodriguez
John holland,Alex galindo,
Alejandro carmona,larry ayuso
I am a big fan of anthony but this season no good,he is just not on his game i dont know if its the game plays on new york that doesnt fit his style of play or he is just not stepping up,but i hope to see him in the olympics.he is still that guy who most people considered one of the best offensively because of his versatility,melo do ur thing and Lala stop stressing Melo at home lol
Release him and let him play for Puerto Rico…..
“…he was a member of the bronze medal-winning U.S. team at the Athens Olympics in 200…”
thanks for telling me Carmelo Anthony is more than 1800 years old, would’ve never known.
He’s not playing the 3 ahead of LBJ or Durant, and he’s not playing the 4 ahead of Love or Aldridge at least (hell, he’s not playing the 4 ahead of LBJ or Durant either). He should probably be in the squad, but he’d be the 11th or 12th man, not a starter.
Truth is Melo is not playing as well as the others so on that basis alone, he does not deserve to be invited. However, on another level his actions during the D’Antoni fiasco left many with a poor taste and Melo has to realize that he can’t simply wipe away his actions. Everyone is left wondering why NOW he suddenly has decided that he should play a little D and be involved in the plays that his teammates are running. When all the Knicks players are saying they are winning now because everyone is buying in, the unstated comment is that previously there was one primary player that did not buy in. That is not somebody I want representing the USA.