With his four consecutive Olympic gold medals and his record for points, Kevin Durant has become the benchmark in Team USA history. Before him, it was Carmelo Anthonywho had a record number of points and three gold medals at the Olympic Games (plus a bronze in 2004). Although he never won the NBA title, the former winger could, however, look back on a historic and magnificent international career.
Still, wouldn't he trade his medals for an NBA trophy? ” No “he replied during the competition in Paris. “When we talk about sports in general, a medal is different from an NBA title. They each have their meaning, but a gold medal is passion, pride. You don't play for a city or a region, but for your nation. You win for your country.”
“There are only a handful of athletes from one country who win medals, and even fewer who win gold medals.”
A few days after this first statement, Carmelo Anthony returned in more detail to this feeling. On his perception moreover because, he concedes, he would not have responded like this some time ago.
“If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have said NBA champion, no doubt. Without a doubt.”, he admits in his podcastbefore indicating the elements which changed his vision. “Education, understanding things. I’m a student of the sport, not just in terms of tactical systems, but knowing the different layers of the sport.”
In the first part of his career, Melo clearly did not appreciate the impact of the Olympic Games. “I didn't have that coming into the NBA and early on, playing for Team USA in 2004 and 2006, before the Redeem Team. I didn't know all that,” he remembers. “In 2008, I was just angry because we were losing and happy to build this team, to win the gold medal. I was in killer mode at the time, I didn't understand this business.”
So it came with time. “I had to learn basketball in a global way: three gold medals, four in total, it's more important than one title, because of the impact it has,” he believes. “Not everyone wins a gold, silver or bronze medal. There are only a handful of athletes from a country who win medals, let alone gold medals. When you think about that, it changes your perspective. Of course I wanted to win the NBA title, but there are a lot of things that go into winning a title, let alone winning multiple titles.”
| Carmelo Anthony | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2003-04 | DEN | 82 | 37 | 42.6 | 32.2 | 77.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 21.0 |
| 2004-05 | DEN | 75 | 35 | 43.1 | 26.6 | 79.6 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 5.7 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 20.8 |
| 2005-06 | DEN | 80 | 37 | 48.1 | 24.3 | 80.8 | 1.5 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 26.5 |
| 2006-07 | DEN | 65 | 38 | 47.6 | 26.8 | 80.8 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 6.0 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 28.9 |
| 2007-08 | DEN | 77 | 36 | 49.2 | 35.4 | 78.6 | 2.3 | 5.1 | 7.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 25.7 |
| 2008-09 | DEN | 66 | 35 | 44.3 | 37.1 | 79.3 | 1.6 | 5.2 | 6.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 22.8 |
| 2009-10 | DEN | 69 | 38 | 45.8 | 31.6 | 83.0 | 2.2 | 4.4 | 6.6 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 0.4 | 28.2 |
| 2010-11 * | All Teams | 77 | 36 | 45.5 | 37.8 | 83.8 | 1.5 | 5.8 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 25.6 |
| 2010-11 * | DEN | 50 | 36 | 45.2 | 33.3 | 82.3 | 1.5 | 6.1 | 7.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 25.2 |
| 2010-11 * | NYK | 27 | 36 | 46.1 | 42.4 | 87.2 | 1.5 | 5.2 | 6.7 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 26.3 |
| 2011-12 | NYK | 55 | 34 | 43.0 | 33.5 | 80.4 | 1.6 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 22.6 |
| 2012-13 | NYK | 67 | 37 | 44.9 | 37.9 | 83.0 | 2.0 | 4.9 | 6.9 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 28.7 |
| 2013-14 | NYK | 77 | 39 | 45.2 | 40.2 | 84.8 | 1.9 | 6.2 | 8.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 27.4 |
| 2014-15 | NYK | 40 | 36 | 44.4 | 34.1 | 79.7 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 6.6 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 24.2 |
| 2015-16 | NYK | 72 | 35 | 43.4 | 33.9 | 82.9 | 1.4 | 6.4 | 7.7 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 21.9 |
| 2016-17 | NYK | 74 | 34 | 43.3 | 35.9 | 83.3 | 0.8 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 22.4 |
| 2017-18 | OKC | 78 | 32 | 40.4 | 35.7 | 76.7 | 0.9 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 16.2 |
| 2018-19 | WHOA | 10 | 29 | 40.5 | 32.8 | 68.2 | 0.9 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 13.4 |
| 2019-20 | POR | 58 | 33 | 43.0 | 38.5 | 84.5 | 1.2 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 15.4 |
| 2020-21 | POR | 69 | 25 | 42.1 | 40.9 | 89.0 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 13.4 |
| 2021-22 | LAL | 69 | 26 | 44.1 | 37.5 | 83.0 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 13.3 |
| Total | 1260 | 35 | 44.7 | 35.5 | 81.4 | 1.6 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 22.5 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
