Carmelo Anthony is the only American-born NBA player to ever win three consecutive gold medals in Olympic men’s basketball history.
The New York Knicks forward won his third gold Sunday when the U.S. defeated Serbia 96-66 in a lopsided affair. Anthony was one of Team USA’s best players at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, where he also became the Americans’ all-time leading scorer in Olympic play.
Following the final buzzer Sunday, Anthony gave an emotional interview to NBC, where he confirmed this was his last Olympics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyQ0Fim88vU
He also shared a heartfelt message about the nation.
Carmelo Anthony was emotional talking about what it meant to represent the United States in the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/a0o7XGGYdb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 21, 2016
The support for Anthony on Twitter was pretty cool to see as well.
Great interview post game with Carmelo Anthony. Easy to root for athletes that care so much about this great country.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 21, 2016
And well said @carmeloanthony
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) August 21, 2016
Anthony probably was a lock to make the Basketball Hall of Fame before winning a third gold medal, but his triumph in Rio likely seals the deal.
Remember, the Hall of Fame celebrates international and collegiate play, too — it’s not all about NBA success. Besides, there are plenty of great scorers he’s better than or close to (Alex English, Adrian Dantley, etc.) already in the Hall.
