Carmelo Anthony values Olympic gold medals over NBA ring

Carmelo Anthony boasts three Olympic gold medals, solidifying his status as one of the greatest men's American Olympic basketball players to ever grace the court. However, with the addition of a fourth gold medal, Kevin Durant is now a strong contender for that title. At the USA Showcase game in Las Vegas leading up to the Olympics, 'Melo received the loudest ovation out of all the legendary USA Basketball players introduced. He remains a fan favorite and an iconic figure in USA Basketball history.

Would he trade those gold medals for an NBA ring?

BasketNews’ Dontas Urbonas asked ‘Melo that during a recent podcast

"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.