With 14 points in the first quarter tonight against Australia, Carmelo Anthony has officially become Team USA’s all-time leading scorer with 293 points. Anthony had passed LeBron’s mark of 273 points just nine minutes into the game, in a quarter where he totaled 14 points.
This Olympic competition is Carmelo’s fourth run with Team USA. His first was back in 2004, the summer after his rookie season as a Denver Nugget. Carmelo has gone from serving as the young buck on a 2004 underwhelming Olympic squad to becoming a mentor for the 2016 Team USA squad, that moved to 3-0 tonight with its win over Australia. In between, winning gold medals with Team USA in 2008 and 2012.
Team USA guard Kyrie Irving spoke highly of Carmelo after the game.
“He’s a great player. The leader on this team”, Irving said. “When you have a leader like that that’s just gonna leave it all out there on the floor no matter what possession’s going on throughout the game, you know, he just stayed resilient.
“He’s our rock. He’s gonna hold us down, and I expect him to do that”.
Carmelo’s 31 points (9-14 shooting from deep) played a key role in USA’s 98-88 victory this evening. The 262 points ‘Melo scored before tonight’s game are just as meaningful to this Basketball loving country, though.
Carmelo, who also surpassed Michael Jordan’s point total earlier in the week, is now in the books as the single greatest scorer in USA Basketball history.
