Carmelo Anthony Comments on Olympics, Safety in Brazil and More

New York Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony is coming off yet another disappointing NBA season after his team went 10-28 to finish the 2015-16 campaign at 32-50.    

As one of the elite players in the league, he could normally take solace in attaining success with the United States Olympic basketball team, but his participation in the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro could be in question, as he told Russ Bengtson of Complex in an interview released Tuesday:

"

It’s a big decision, man—I haven’t even started thinking about it as far as I’m gonna play or not. I would like to, but there’s other things that come in. There’s the time commitment, the load it puts on your body, going to Brazil—there’s a lot of safety things that’s going on. I’m pretty sure sooner than later the USA people would like to know, but I didn’t feel like it was a rush. This is the time I distance myself from basketball and try and get some clarity and new energy.

"

At 31 years old, Anthony has seen a steady decline in his game over the past four years. After leading the league with 28.7 points per game in 2012-13, he averaged just 21.8 in 2015-16.   

He's experienced plenty of wear and tear on his body too. While battling a number of injuries, including knee and ankle problems, Anthony averaged over 35 minutes per game in 72 contests this season. 

Instead of getting a full offseason to rest and recover, Anthony would have to go to Brazil for basically all of August to play. That would give him a little less than two months to prepare for his 14th NBA season. 

Brazil also might not provide a hospitable environment. The country recently underwent a Zika virus scare. The virus is a mosquito-borne disease that has big-name American athletes voicing their concerns, including women's soccer goaltender Hope Solo, per Grant Wahl of SI.com. 

On top of that, Brazil cut its security budget in March. A former special operations police force captain, Paulo Storani, told Kim Brunhuber of CBC News that "if we depend on the structure that is being prepared for these Games, we are extremely vulnerable to [terror] attacks, just like what happened in Paris and Brussels."

It's not set in stone that Anthony would represent the United States for a fourth time. He is one of 30 finalists who will try out for the 12-man roster, which will be named later in the summer. But given his opportunities to rest and the uncertainty in Brazil, he might find it easier and more beneficial if he sat out this time around. 

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.