Carmelo Anthony gets ridiculed by Stephen A. Smith over his remark on Olympic hold vs NBA championship

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith wasn't impressed with what former NBA star Carmelo Anthony said about Olympic wins vs. NBA titles. In a recent episode of First Take, Smith shared how surprised he was by Melo's comments and went on to describe them as "ridiculous."

Smith still holds the Larry O'Brien trophy in high regard as he addressed the comments made by Anthony. The analyst shared his honest thoughts on the matter regarding Olympic medals vs. NBA titles.

"I almost cried when I heard that Carmelo [Anthony] said that [he wouldn't trade his gold medals for an NBA title]. That is maybe the most ridiculous comment I've ever heard come out of his mouth," Smith said.

"That was just ridiculous for him to say and all it did was bring attention to the fact that a guy I would've loved to have won an NBA championship, I couldn't believe he said that."

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What did Carmelo Anthony say about his Olympics medals vs. NBA championships?

Winning the NBA championship is something that all players in the league aspire to accomplish in their careers. However, the competition is tough, and not everyone gets to win a title. That includes Carmelo Anthony, who never got to win a title during his 19-year career.

However, the former All-Star forward found a different path to basketball success. He finished his career as a three-time Olympic gold medalist, apart from winning bronze at the 2004 Olympics.

Melo was recently asked if he's willing to trade his Team USA medals for an NBA championship. The six-time All-NBA star shared that he wouldn't trade it for a title as it holds a different meaning for him.

"No," Melo said. "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, a whole country you're winning for. So, it's a different level of pride that you have to have when you're wearing USA across your chest."

Anthony's career accomplishments include winning Olympic medals, which have positioned him as one of the top worldwide athletes. It also helped his case to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

His achievements in the NBA and the international scene have put him on a different level compared to other stars.

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