LAS VEGAS, Sept. 1 — Carmelo Anthony’s introduction to international basketball was all about confusion and chaos and, most of all, discontent. He spent the summer of 2004 on the bench of Coach Larry Brown’s team, watching as the United States finished with a bronze medal in the Athens Olympics.
It will be another year before that memory can be properly expunged, but Anthony seems up to the task. With 27 points Saturday night, he led a 135-91 rout of Puerto Rico in the FIBA Americas Tournament, and the United States (9-0) clinched a berth in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Argentina also earned an Olympic berth, with a 91-80 defeat of Brazil, and will face the United States for the tournament championship Sunday.
The difference in expectations was obvious in the postgame celebrations. The Argentines danced on the Thomas and Mack Center court and twirled their powder-blue jerseys. The United States players shook hands, patted backs and stayed focused on next summer.
As one of the few holdovers from the 2004 team, which lost by 19 points to Puerto Rico in its opening game in Athens, Anthony is clear about the broader picture.
source : nytimes.com
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