As the rigors of an NBA season remain freshly entrenched in the mind of Carmelo Anthony’s 32-year-old body, the New York Knicks star forward is unsure if he’ll be heading to South America for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Anthony, speaking with Michael Lee of The Vertical, said he’s going to let things simmer down for a bit before committing to Team USA:
“That’s at the top of the sport, of any sport. I think if you have the opportunity to do it, and enjoy it, and take advantage of it, I think you should do it. [The Olympics are] the throne for sports as a whole,” Anthony told The Vertical. “I’m going to take a little more time to think about it. I’m not in a rush. NBA season is still going on, so I’m going to see how I feel physically. Am I ready to take on – I don’t want to say burden, but – that load? If I’m ready, I’ll do it. If not, my body won’t lie to me.”
‘Melo’s indecision comes on the heels of a recent report that stated both Anthony and LeBron James had accepted invites to play this summer in Rio.
On that note, Anthony told The Vertical that he’s likely be more inclined to make the trip if James also heads down there with him: “It definitely would help,” he said.
It’s understandable that Anthony would balk at the prospect of putting his body through another summer of hard-fought basketball against top-level international competition. Both he and James have done this three times already, and it would be a record if both were to compete in their fourth Olympic Games.
He’s previously stated his desire to make history with James, but perhaps aging bones and joints are protesting a bit more than he expected at this present time.
Chris Paul already had to bow out this summer after he broke his hand during the NBA Playoffs series against the Portland Trailblazers. At this point, if James and Anthony also chose not to participate, we’d be seeing quite the a few new faces playing for the gold medal for Team USA.