Carmelo Anthony is being interviewed after a Team USA practice in Las Vegas. (Photo : Getty Images / Nathaniel S. Butler)
Carmelo Anthony wants more than an Olympic gold medal for his Team USA squad. His desire is to have a better, more united nation.
Anthony commented on the events which happened in recent weeks in the US, calling them "unfortunate" and "sad." In an interview with ESPN, he reiterated his desire for the country to "stand united" and declared, "We have to come together."
Lately, Anthony has been more vocal about his desire for a positive change in the country. He has called on supporters and fellow athletes to be more involved in their own communities to impact that change. After the Dallas incident where five police officers were killed, Anthony quickly posted on Instagram a heartfelt message to take charge and take action. Along with fellow NBA superstars LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, they opened last week's ESPY awards via speeches which contained the same message.
Anthony famously marched with protesters sometime last year in his home city of Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray. Gray died April 2015 from spinal injuries suffered when he was being transported under police custody. During last Monday's practice with Team USA, Anthony was informed about the acquittal of the police officer in charge in the Gray case. "It's just getting worse and worse," Anthony told The Undefeated in an interview.
The New York Knicks forward plans to continue his crusade for social justice. Along with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski, Anthony is planning to have a town-hall meeting with Los Angeles area community leaders. Rumored to be included at the possible event are law enforcement personnel and multi-cultural people. The USA Team is scheduled to be in Los Angeles during the weekend to play an exhibition game against China.
Anthony said that the "timing could not have been better" for them as they could use the Olympics and the build-up to it in order to get their message across and "represent something bigger" than being players. USA teammate Draymond Green says that he thinks it could be something special while DeMar DeRozan believes that they are an inspiration to people.
Watch Anthony's interview regarding his Instagram post and his message below:
