Carmelo Anthony has committed to play for the U.S. in hopes of winning an unprecedented third Olympic gold medal this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Star players have been withdrawing their name from consideration for various reasons, but Anthony has accepted his invite, an NBA source confirmed.
Anthony could be the first four-time Olympian for men’s basketball and could also be the only men’s basketball player to win three gold medals if Team USA wins the tournament. After the Cavaliers won the championship, LeBron James said he was leaning towards not playing in the Olympics, but has not made an official decision. Like Anthony, James has appeared in three Olympics and has won two golds and a bronze.
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“Not too many people can say they played in four Olympics and have a chance to win three gold medals. Not too many people can say that,” Anthony said during this past season. “To me, that’s the way I look at it and the way I approach the Olympics.”
The Knicks star played on the 2004 bronze medal-winning team and won gold in 2008 and 2012. Anthony said in March that the Knicks’ failure to reach the playoffs the last three seasons has him craving team success.
“I think from a morale standpoint as a player if you’ve been through the things that I’ve been through the past couple of years you want to feel what that success feels like,” Anthony said. “You want that success.”
Chris Paul of the Clippers, as well as the Warriors’ Steph Curry, the Rockets’ James Harden and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder, already has withdrawn from playing for the U.S. National Team this summer.
..... - Newsday