LAS VEGAS — When the US Olympic Team gathered Sunday night for its first meeting, Carmelo Anthony was asked to give a little speech. The Olympic coaching staff believes Anthony’s remarks set the tone for its training camp that ended with Friday’s 111-74 exhibition slaughter of decrepit Argentina at T-Mobile Arena.
“I don’t like to do a lot of talking in those situations,’’ Anthony said this week at UNLV. “It was more just letting the guys know this process won’t be easy. I know we’re expected to win the gold and everyone wants to win the gold. We want to win the gold, but the process is not easy. I don’t want the guys to think just because we’re the best players in the world that we’re going to go out and it’s going to be easy — because it’s not.’’
It looked too easy Friday on the Vegas strip. Team USA jumped to a 15-3 start, led by 23 points at halftime and outrebounded Argentina 53-30, which included 22 offensive rebounds.
Anthony attacked the boards and heated up in the second half, not missing a field goal, to finish with 17 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes. He made 5-of-8 shots from downtown and also had three steals.
After a 2-of-8 shooting start, including a blown layup, Anthony was 4-for-4 in the second half, finishing 6-of-12 from the field. Team USA was led by Kevin Durant’s 23 points in 21 minutes on 7-of-12 shooting, fresh off his free-agent defection to Golden State.
New Net Luis Scola struggled for Argentina (3-of-10, 10 points). At this late stage of Manu Ginobili’s career, the argument can be made Team USA had the 12 best players in the game.
Anthony manned the starting frontcourt with Durant and center DeMarcus Cousins (15 rebounds) as he began pursuit of a record third basketball gold medal for the United States, with opens in Rio de Janeiro against China on Aug. 6. This also marks Anthony’s fourth Summer Games — a US Olympic basketball record.
Zika virus be damned, Anthony is back for more as undisputed team leader. He was given the microphone before tip-off to address the crowd.
“Your support means the world to us,” he said. “We got to do what we got to do and bring home the gold.”
Before the game, Anthony reflected on many of his associates telling him to sit it out.
“A lot of people told me, ‘Don’t do it, don’t do it.’ For what?’’ Anthony said. “But I actually enjoy it. I’ve been a part of USA Basketball since I was a junior or senior [in college]. I actually enjoy it, and it’s an opportunity to get another gold medal. I didn’t want to miss that opportunity. And you don’t have to have the same role as on your own team. That’s why guys like playing on the USA team because they don’t have to do as much. They just have a role and rely on everyone else — the best players in the world.’’
Team USA CEO Jerry Colangelo, who also now helps run the 76ers, said he is delighted Anthony returned. Anthony swears he’s no longer worried about Rio’s mosquito issue or safety concerns that have caused several withdrawals.
“It’s winter there — not going to be many mosquitoes,’’ he said jokingly.
“He’s taken on that leadership role from the start — it was a great job committing himself to coming back,’’ Colangelo said. “That’s a real strength for a guy who has a lot of mileage on him. He thrives so much in international basketball. I’d do the same thing if I was him. You want to have fun playing the game.’’
With the Knicks’ revamping putting him at ease regarding his day job, Anthony is relishing being the magnet of positive attention for a change. It’s partly because of his outspoken role as an activist regarding racial tensions stemming from a series of police-involved shootings of black men. And other than Durant, he’s by far the most well-known player on the Olympic team, despite having not made an All-NBA Team for three straight years.
“It’s a new group and batch of guys,’’ Anthony said. “I get a chance to go out there and be a leader of the team and lead these guys and enjoy it. It’s about going over there and having fun and getting that fun feeling back and trying to get another gold medal.’’
On the 2004 third-place Olympic debacle in which USA lost to Argentina, Anthony was an ignored young cog on the Larry Brown-coached club, Colangelo took control and Anthony became the first one he called to recruit players for a 2008 return. Now Team USA looks for a third straight gold. The club heads to Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago and Houston for exhibitions before heading to Rio.
“We talk about it all the time,’’ Anthony said of 2004. “Not from a basketball standpoint, but hearing the rest of the world had caught up to us and we had to regain ourselves; 2004, not just for me personally but as a country, it was a very embarrassing moment.’’
According to a source, Albany has rescheduled its cancelled game Nov. 12 against Duke with a new opponent: Penn State. The Duke-Albany game was a feeder into the Naismith Basketball Tournament at Mohegan Sun. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is the Olympic team coach, said he’s also rescheduled with a new opponent after the Great Danes refused to come to North Carolina because of the state’s new anti-transgender law.
Courtesy:ESPN.com
