Carmelo Anthony and Team USA have a message to send to the world. It may not take a single spoken word to convey that message.
With or without a Larry O’Brien Trophy to show for it, the New York Knicks have a champion on the roster. He’s a pioneer of the modern civil rights movement in sports and a defining figure of international success for USA Basketball.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony will look to continue down his path as a champion of social change.
Anthony has a chance to make history on the court by winning an unprecedented third gold medal. He also has a rare opportunity to send a powerful message to a global audience.
According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, the message that Anthony hopes to send is that the American people can stand tall during trying times.
"“I know about that rule,” Anthony told The Undefeated. “We had a rule talk about the do’s and the don’ts. What you can do and what you can’t do. I know the basics of what I want to do and what I don’t want to do. But for me, I think I’ve laid the foundation down and laid the platform down where the best thing for me at this point is to win a gold medal and show our country that we are united through all these times. I think that’s the image I want to send out.“If I wanted to do something, I’d do it. I wouldn’t let nothing hold me back. But I know I got a group of guys that got my back and need me there for them. The message I want to send is us standing on that medal stand united with them putting that gold medal around our neck despite everything that is going on in our country. I haven’t thought about putting the black glove on. I want to stay away from that, especially right now. I think the message we have an opportunity to send is big enough.”"
That would be more influential a moment than it may seem.
Team USA is often the heavy favorite to win the gold medal at the Summer Olympics. 2016 is no exception, as Anthony leads a cast of generally fresh faces into what could be a historic Summer Games.
For Anthony individually, he has a chance to become the first male basketball player in Olympic history to win three gold medals.
Anthony won a bronze medal in 2004 and has since used that as motivation to redeem both himself and Team USA. He was a leader of The Redeem Team in 2008, and had a historic showing in 2012.
Team USA walked away with gold medals from both of those Olympic events.
Beyond Anthony’s individual accolades would be a powerful moment in American history. As racial tensions boil over and a fight for progress becomes as strong as it’s been during the 21st century, Team USA can send a message.
As racial injustice occurs back home, just imagine the power of a moment in which a group of black men are responsible for the United States of America winning an Olympic gold medal.
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Anthony has been a leader in the fight for social reform in recent months. He’ll continue down that path at the 2016 Summer Olympics.