Carmelo Anthony Injury: Updates on Knicks SF's Recovery from Knee Surgery
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is reportedly far enough along in his recovery from left knee surgery to join Team USA basketball's minicamp in Las Vegas.
Continue for updates.
Report: Anthony Healthy Enough to Practice for Team USA
Monday, August 10
ESPN insider Marc Stein reported Anthony will start practicing for the U.S. national team. Stein added that Anthony is fit enough to fully participate after initially planning to only attend to remain eligible for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo has spoken of the importance for as many players as possible to attend the camp held on UNLV's campus.
"It's going to be a very difficult team to pick and get down to 12," said Colangelo in July, per Stein. "So we need to have them there because we need to find out where we are with everyone."
Anthony played in the most recent NBA All-Star Game but sat out the rest of the 2014-15 season after having his knee operated on amid a horrendous campaign for the Knicks.
The hope is New York will be coming off of a better year and that Anthony will be healthy enough to play in Rio next summer should he decide to suit up.
It would be a bit of a surprise to see Anthony left off of the next USA Olympic squad. He's been a member of the past three Olympic teams, winning gold medals in each of the past two Summer Games in Beijing and London, respectively.
Smaller lineups with versatile forwards such as Kevin Durant and Anthony, who can play the 3 and 4, ought to give Team USA plenty of flexibility. Stein also reported Durant will be able to practice in Las Vegas, which is encouraging for the national team's future as well as that of the Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
