Landon Buford
On Friday, Stadium’s NBA Insider Shams Charania reported that Team USA Basketball does not plan on inviting three-time gold medalist Carmelo Anthony to this year’s FIBA camp. Over the past week, Anthony’s name has been mentioned a lot on various programs due to numerous marque names like Anthony Davis, James Harden, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum deciding not to participate this summer. However, young talent such as Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Julius Randle, Donovan Mitchell, Kemba Walker, and Kyle Kuzma have all committed to play in the Fiba World Championships this summer.
Some reporters feel that this could give Carmelo Anthony the opportunity to present his case to an NBA team, that he still can be effective in today’s NBA. Former NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins seems to feel that Melo can still be effective. Earlier this evening he tweeted out “The disrespect needs to stop! USA can use Melo. He’s still a walking Bucket!!!!”
The disrespect needs to stop! USA can use Melo. He’s still a walking Bucket!!!! https://t.co/103pR1PGVF
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) July 27, 2019
Anthony is currently ranked number one in Gold Medals, games, points, and rebounds
#WeWantMelo pic.twitter.com/ecIAUCx8gH
— MemeHub (@MemeHub247) July 27, 2019
Last season Carmelo only participated in 10 games for the Houston Rockets before they traded him to Chicago and they later released him.
Perkins is not the only person that thinks Melo has something left in the tank. Blake Griffin told me earlier this year that people don’t remember how good Melo is.
“Melo is a Hall of Famer, and I think it is funny how fickle today’s world with social media and everything has become what have you done for me lately. I don’t if they remember how good of a player he was and still is. Sometimes it’s the situation; it sucks to see as a basketball player to see people act he is something he is not, said Griffin.
“I have a feeling Melo will turn it around.”
“I think Melo still has a lot left,” Johnson said. “A bona fide scorer. So, I know for a fact there’s a lot of teams that he can help. I hate to see him not playing, especially in the NBA at this point.”
“Absolutely! Melo’s game translates, and he is another guy I respect and admired for a really long time. The way he approaches the game and I think it is always tough to see these savvy veterans get a bad name with a 24-hour news cycle. But Melo can still bring a hell of a lot to a team, and if you get him on the right team, there is going to be a lot of firepower for those guys, Love told me.“
Carmelo has also been taking part in Blackops Basketball games this summer hosted by his trainer Chris Brickley and has been taking NBA players to school. Some of the NBA players that have been featured in these games have been Dennis Smith Jr. C.J. McCollum, Trae Young, Lance Stevenson, Donovan Mitchell, T.J Warren, and Shamorie Ponds.
