Rio 2016: Carmelo Anthony To Make History As The First US Basketball Player To Play In 4 Olympics |PoliFocus

Carmelo Anthony will become the first U.S. man to playin four Olympics and could leave as the most decorated men’s basketball player ever.

Anthony was the first player Jerry Colangelo talked to about joining a new U.S. national basketball team program.


Now, he’s the last one standing.An Olympic career that started miserably is still going 12 years later, so long that some of Anthony’s teammates were middle schoolers when it began.

He will become the first U.S. man to play in four Olympics, and if the Americans medal he will leave Rio de Janeiro as the most decorated men’s basketball player ever.

“He’s going to be the leader of this team along with (Kevin Durant). And to have somebody who, this will be his fourth Olympics, that level of experience – and he’s still a great player – and commitment, it’s a godsend, really,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

“He’ll be one of key factors in us attempting to win the gold medal.”Anthony already owns two of those, along with a bronze.

He figures to shatter many of the U.S. records he doesn’t already own, and even Michael Jordan and LeBron James should be looking up at Anthony on the team’s scoring list before the end of the Rio Games.

And to think, there were people wondering why Colangelo approached Anthony at all in 2005 after his petulant performance a year before in Athens.

“Here we are, this is his fourth and he’s the first guy that I had spoken with,” Colangelo said.

“And it’s great to see in my mind, the career he’s had, and it’s great forus to know that he’s had so much success with us, in terms of the international game, and he’s thrived in the international game.”

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