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NBA icon Carmelo Anthony recently said he wouldn’t trade his three Olympic gold medals for a single NBA championship.
To some people, that is a patriotic statement that shows how much he loves his country.
To others, it was a silly statement.
Stephen A. Smith appeared on ESPN, per ClutchPoints, and lambasted Anthony’s claim.
“I almost cried when I heard that Carmelo 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.
“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.”
Stephen A. Smith on Melo’s recent comments pic.twitter.com/PfImxJ0JaO https://t.co/9zkGFeL3X2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 14, 2024
Smith is a lifelong, diehard New York Knicks fan, so there is no doubt that he would have exchanged Anthony’s gold medals for a title in New York.
However, a lot of people understand what Anthony was saying and why he feels how he does.
He felt great pride when playing on behalf of his country and winning gold medals for them.
It was an honor that went beyond just representing one team, city or state.
Additionally, Anthony never said he didn’t want to win a championship in the NBA.
In a perfect world, he would have claimed Olympic gold medals and championship rings too.
But in the end, he wasn’t able to win a title during his 19 years in the league.
Anthony still achieved so much, including 10 All-Star appearances, a scoring champion title in 2013, and a spot on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
However, it sounds like his greatest honor was playing and winning with Team USA and he wouldn’t give that up for anything, no matter what Smith thinks.
The post Stephen A. Smith Roasts Carmelo Anthony For Saying He Wouldn’t Trade Gold Medals For A Ring appeared first on The Cold Wire.