Carmelo Anthony snubs 2004 Olympic teammate from his all-time Team USA starting lineup
Carmelo Anthony named his all-time Team USA starting lineup recently. However, the former Nuggets star snubbed his 2004 Olympics teammate from the squad. Anthony named Kobe Bryant, himself, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Charles Barkley as his top five picks for the all-time Team USA starters.
It was surprising to see Anthony snub Dwyane Wade. The Miami Heat legend was part of Team USA in the 2004 Olympics alongside Anthony, who represented the nation in Athens. Wade was also part of the elite rookie group from the 2003 draft, which included LeBron James and Melo.
D-Wade represented the USA in the Olympics twice, once in 2004 and once in 2008. Although the 2004 campaign was a disappointment where the USA ended up winning the bronze medal, Wade and company redeemed themselves in 2008 when they brought the gold medal back home.
Flash is a three-time NBA champion and a 13-time NBA All-Star. The Heat also retired his jersey to honor his contributions to their franchise. Although D-Wade is worthy of being in a conversation for any all-time team, apparently Carmelo Anthony had better options in mind.
Carmelo Anthony draws plays in Team USA vs Serbia semi-final
USA vs. Serbia was an absolute thriller that placed fans on the edges of their seats. With the Serbians seemingly unable to miss from the outside, it appeared that Team USA would be playing for the bronze medal. However, in the game's waning moments, Carmelo Anthony stepped up and started instructing the players from the sidelines, acting like their unofficial coach.
He arguably drew the play that led to the game-winning Kevin Durant shot. A fan uploaded the video of Anthony getting fired up on the sidelines and yelling instructions to the players with rapid hand movements.
Melo is one of the greatest scorers in USA basketball history. With that stated, Anthony opted to help his compatriots as much as he could from the sidelines. He even uttered inspiring words to LeBron James that fired up the future Hall of Famer en route to a pivotal moment in Team USA's gold medal run.