Oh Melo, So So Melo

Carmelo Anthony: CAPTAIN AMERICA FOREVER □□□□□□ pic.twitter.com/hBvI4RATT8

— Rob Perez (@WorId_Wide_Wob) August 21, 2016

That's so Melo...dramatic. I know, I know. I hate myself for it too, but I won't be doing my job as a writer if I didn't take the opportunity to merge a convenient name with a corresponding semi-accurate adjective. Seriously though, despite his flaws I actually like Carmelo. Just like despite it's flaws I love my country. Still, this postgame reaction somehow transcended all of the Patriotic biases playing in favor of the preeminent ball dominant scorer (my favorite type of player) responsible for it and came off as over-the-top. That's not too say that it wasn't a genuine show of emotions because  I truly believe that it was, but it was a show of emotions that proved just how delusional one man has become about the importance of playing Olympic basketball for a country that could sleepwalk their way to a Gold medal. 

Those were the tears of a man that takes so much pride in his trifecta of first place finishes in international play that he's willfully ignorant of the fact that any player of his caliber would be just as accomplished if they bothered showing up. I really do appreciate how much it means to him to compete on behalf of the United States, but that seemed like it was more of a glimpse into the psyche of man that's gone full justification mode when it comes to how successful his professional career has been. That's the only explanation for him looking like Kobe Bryant after his final game if someone had told Kobe his dog had been put down during halftime of his final game.

I'd rather not criticize someone who properly represented the red, white, and blue, but it's worth noting that he was standing in front of maybe one hundred American fans in a foreign city after receiving an accolade that was as close to a foregone conclusion as it gets. The hysterics in question seem a bit more characteristic of an athlete standing in front of a stadium full of his home fans chanting his name after wrapping up the entirety of his playing days. Far be it for me to tell the face of Team USA basketball how to feel in victory, but something short of acting like he just completed the 'Miracle On Hardwood' seems like it would have been more appropriate given the circumstances.