Anthony sees basketball gold medal in his future

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BEIJING -- No, Carmelo Anthony has not technically given a guarantee. Anthony got out of the guaranteeing business four years ago when he promised a gold medal for the Americans and they ended up with a fold medal.Nevertheless, Anthony can sense redemption is at hand. Four years after Team USA's Greek tragedy, he's counting on standing on the top of the podium Sunday."After we win this gold medal, nobody will ever remember 2004," the Denver Nuggets forward said after a practice this week.That might be a stretch. Even after NBA players entered the Olympics in 1992, the John Thompson 1988 debacle still wasn't forgot.That U.S. Olympic men's basketball team settled for a bronze medal then as did the 2004 gang in Athens. Throw in the controversial 1972 finals loss to the Soviet Union, and the Americans have not minted gold in only three of 15 Olympic tournaments they have entered (they boycotted in 1980)."After '04, we were at the lowest point as far as USA Basketball was concerned," Anthony said. "We were at the bottom for us."But Anthony can sense a "360-degree turnaround" is at hand. So his geometry is off, but you know what he means.The Americans, who face Argentina Friday in a semifinal, are two wins away from getting back the gold. Judging from their play so far, it might be two routs away.In pool play, the U.S. went 5-0, outscoring foes by an average of 32.2 points. The Spanish arrived in Beijing supposedly as a legitimate gold-medal contender, and the Americans crushed them 119-82.Australia was supposed to give the U.S. a test in the quarterfinals Wednesday, but were crushed, 116-85. "Nobody is going to beat them," Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman said after his Germany team was walloped 106-57 Monday by the U.S.If that becomes the case, perhaps a gold medal would be most sweet for Anthony, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carlos Boozer. They are the holdovers from 2004.While having to settle for bronze has been gnawing at the four for four years, it's tough to put too much blame on them. The young players (Boozer at the time had played two NBA seasons and the other three just one) didn't log big minutes."It was frustrating," Anthony said. "I know on a team like this, you're not supposed to worry about how many minutes you play and things like that. But guys like myself and LeBron James, we were expected to play in 2004, but we didn't. So that kind of takes down a notch of your confidence."Anthony's ordeal in Athens has been well chronicled. Coach Larry Brown said he didn't buy into the team concept, and he played little.The situation still irks Anthony. But he doesn't like to talk about it."I didn't have any problems with Larry, man," Anthony said. "He had problems with me. A lot of people never really got a chance to really hear what I have to say. But I don't really have nothing to say. That's over with for me. I'm in 2008 right now."And 2008 has proved a lot sweeter for Anthony. After U.S. players were booed in Athens even while they walked down the street, Anthony said Chinese fans have cheered them so much its feels "like a home game" when Team USA isn't facing the hosts.Anthony is averaging 9.7 points as the starting power forward. While Anthony may have been the team's leading scorer in the 2006 World Championships and the 2007 Olympic qualifying tournament, this is the first time he's played alongside James, Wade and Kobe Bryant at the same time, and he's been the one to sacrifice scoring."In '06, he probably was in the best shape I have ever seen him," said Team USA assistant Jim Boeheim, Anthony's college coach at Syracuse who said Anthony had something to prove coming back from his 2004 Olympics troubles. "Last year, he was still there. This year, he probably was one step off that (when he showed up last month for training camp in Las Vegas)."Now, he's gotten it back going full blast. This is probably the best defensively I have ever seen him play... He started out shooting poorly, and he didn't have all three of those guys before (James, Wade and Bryant). They're really scorers."With Anthony's offensive role reduced, he's sought to become more of an all-around player. He played solid defense Monday against Germany's Dirk Nowitzki, helping hold the Mavericks star to 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting."I get tired of people saying I can't play no defense," Anthony said. While Anthony's Olympic rebounding average of 4.8 doesn't initially blow anybody away, consider he's doing it in an average of just 17.7 minutes. Nuggets coach George Karl would love to see that kind of production in the NBA, where Anthony's career average is 6.0 in 36.5 minutes."He's been fantastic," Bryant said of Anthony doing things other than score. "He's been playing great defense. The last game, he rebounded the ball like an animal (six in 14 minutes against Germany). Obviously, the numbers are going to be skewed for everybody. He's been fantastic."Bryant likes even more about Anthony."He's probably my favorite person on the team," Bryant said. "He's funny as hell. That's my guy. That's my dude. He's just funny, and he and I, we get along extremely well."Keeping a sense of humor was more difficult for Anthony in Athens. But in Beijing his trademark smile has captivated plenty."I'm really proud of him," Boozer said of Anthony bouncing back. "I'm happy for him. When we get that gold medal, he's going to be one of the happiest men on the podium."Anthony already is pretty chipper."Everything is better on and off the court," he said, comparing these Games to 2004. "I'm happy. I'm having a lot of fun on the court just hanging with the guys and visiting and talking with (players from) different countries."Now, though, Anthony wants his own gold. He gave the bronze to his mother, but insists he will keep this one if the color is two shades better."We've got a chance to redeem ourselves and we can't wait for that moment," Anthony said. "We're knocking on the door (and trying) to accomplish what we've been waiting to do for four years."Perhaps Anthony's guarantee just came four years too early.(Chris Tomasson writes for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver.)