Carmelo Anthony says he would not trade his Olympic gold medals for NBA ring

Carmelo Anthony has three Olympic gold medals and, with them, a claim as the greatest men’s American Olympic basketball player ever (although Kevin Durant, with four golds now, may have that crown). When legends of USA Basketball were introduced at the USA Showcase game in Las Vegas in the run-up to the Olympics, no player drew as loud an ovation as ‘Melo. He is a fan favorite and a USA Basketball icon.

Would he trade those gold medals for an NBA ring? BasketNews’ Dontas Urbonas asked ‘Melo that during a recent podcast and Anthony paused for a second, saying he had never been asked that before, but then said no deal.

“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.”

They are different. An Olympic gold can only happen once every four years and represents a different culmination of the sport and a career. Like every American hooper growing up, Anthony wanted to win an NBA title, but people also want gold for a different rea
son. Comparing the two is a little apples to oranges.

Anthony has nothing to look back on and regret in his Hall of Fame career.