Carmelo Anthony’s big claims on medals vs. the NBA championship made headlines on Sunday. Anthony, 40, is a former NBA player who played 19 seasons as a power forward and small forward. Anthony’s NBA career began in 2003 after being selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets at the 2003 NBA Draft. In 2009, Anthony led the Nuggets to their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 1985.
Aside from the Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony was known for his tenure with the New York Knicks from 2011 to 2017. The Syracuse alum scored a career-high 62 points in the Knicks’ game against the Charlotte Bobcats (now Charlotte Hornets) on January 24, 2014, setting a Knicks single-game scoring record and a Madison Square Garden single-game scoring record.
Fast forward to 2024, as Anthony reappeared in the headlines. This time for his four Olympic medals (three gold and one bronze). Read on for further details.
Carmelo Anthony’s Latest Comments
Carmelo Anthony’s latest comment has sparked conversation in the basketball world. HoopsHype reported that Anthony said, “Four medals is hard to do and I know people are going to say ‘Well you had the best players on the team, you had this.’ Nah, nah. It ain’t that. I wish it was that simple. It’s not that simple.”
It’s important to note Carmelo Anthony didn’t win an NBA championship in his 19-year career. However, Anthony is a ten-time NBA All-Star (2007, 2008, and 2010 to 2017), was named to two All-NBA Second Teams (2010 and 2013), and four All-NBA Third Teams (2006, 2007, 2009, and 2012). An Olympic medal can only be won every four years, while an NBA championship can be won every year, so comparing the two is like apples and oranges.
Anthony’s Recent Answer
Carmelo Anthony has claimed he’s the “greatest men’s American Olympic basketball player ever.” Although, right now, Kevin Durant would fit the claim, as he has four gold medals (2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024). Durant currently has a record 518 career points through 28 games as a member of the USA men’s basketball team.
BasketNews’ Dontas Urbonas asked Anthony if he’d trade his three gold medals for one NBA ring. Anthony responded,
“No. When we talk about global sport, for me a medal means something totally different than an NBA championship. They both have their own separate meanings, but winning a gold medal, it’s the passion, it’s the pride that you have, not just for a city or a state, for a whole nation, for a whole country you’re winning for.
“It’s a different level of, I would say, pride that you have to have when you’re wearing USA across your chest, or you’re wearing Lithuania across your chest. It’s a totally different feeling than Knicks, New York across your chest.”
Carmelo Anthony’s response was fair enough, as gold medals and NBA rings represent separate culminations of a sport and a career.
Anthony’s Hall of Fame Career
Despite not having an NBA ring, Carmelo Anthony has nothing to regret in his Hall of Fame career. Anthony has been widely regarded as one of the basketball greats to have never won an NBA championship. The 40-year-old has a long list of individual basketball honors and will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2026. Anthony formally retired from the NBA in 2023 after finishing up his career with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2021 to 2022. He currently ranks tenth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
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