Team USA upset loss ‘good for basketball,’ says Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony present during the Fiba World Cup semifinal game between Team USA and Germany. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Carmelo Anthony didn’t mince words when asked about his thoughts on Team USA’s loss to Germany in the Fiba World Cup semifinal on Friday.

Anthony was at courtside when pre-World Cup favorite Team USA bowed out of gold medal contention after a stunning 113-111 setback on Friday night.

“It was an upset. Let’s just be quite frank. We don’t want to sugarcoat it. When you have that gold standard, that’s what we’re reaching, that’s our goal. Anything other than that is an upset,” said Anthony during a Fiba talk show at Sofitel Manila on Saturday.

“I don’t want nobody to sugarcoat that. The USA loss was an upset. Germany had a hell of a game and that’s good for the sport.”

After all, Anthony was also part of a United States squad that suffered a major debacle at the 2004 Athens Olympics where Team USA, which featured Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and a young trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Anthony, settled for the bronze.

Apart from that, Anthony also enjoyed much success starring for USA Basketball with three straight Olympic gold medals from 2008 to 2016.

Team USA’s dominance continued at the Summer Games with another gold in Tokyo in 2021.

A Fiba World Cup semifinals game between Team USA and Germany at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

But the Fiba World Cup was a different story for the US, which last seized the gold in the 2014 edition.

While it was a failure for the US, Anthony said, Germany’s victory is “good for basketball.”

“That’s good for Fiba, basketball, the fans and it’s also to let everybody know that the rest of the world is here to play. Now, everybody has to think differently on their approach on how to get the gold medal,” the 39-year-old Anthony said.

“It is what it is. Guys are getting better, the game is growing globally and at the end of the day everybody has an opportunity now to go out there and win a gold medal.”

Team USA tries to salvage a podium finish on Sunday against Canada on the final day of the global showcase.