“It was real time, real shit was happening,” he explains.
“I don’t say anything to Bogi. As he plays, he shoots. ‘Oh, I like that Bogi. I see you.’ I tell them bullshit.”
“I appreciate that everyone took my side, but the biggest thing is that he showed love. I really wanted to cheer him on when he managed to knock down that 3 like that,” Anthony admits.
“I really wanted to say, ‘Well, that was crazy.’ I really wanted to point the finger at him. It was probably one of the best games I’ve ever been to. The best.”
“I tell myself, ‘I can’t show emotion. Just accept what comes with it.’”
Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic defended by Carmelo Anthony
The way NBA fans rallied around Anthony after feeling disrespected shows how much he means to the game.
A 10-time All-Star and named one of the NBA’s top 75 players in 2021, his cult following can be attributed in part to the passion of New York Knicks fans. However, his talent, charisma and authenticity have attracted fans from around the world. In fact, last year, FIBA named Anthony as one of its global ambassadors during the World Cup.
It’s not just because he’s excelled in the league. Anthony is widely regarded as one of the The most outstanding players of the American team of all time. A triple Olympic gold medalistAnthony was USA Basketball’s most decorated male player until Kevin Durant won his fourth gold medal this summer.
All of which is to say that Bogdanovic’s use of Anthony’s celebration against Team USA was not a wise move. While his intent was benign, the timing was poor. Still, the fire and talent he displayed during the Olympics may have earned him a few fans.
Olympovic
In Paris, Bogdanovic averaged 18.3 points and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 46.2 percent from three-point range.
His best performance came against South Sudan In the group stage, he scored 30 points and shot 6-9 from 3-point range. Serbia’s game against Team USA was a two-halves affair, with Bogdanovic finishing with 20 points and shooting 30.0 percent from 3-point range. However, he finished the Olympics strong, helping Serbia secure a bronze medal with his play against Germany. In just 25 minutes, he scored 16 points while shooting 3-4 from 3-point range.
Now, as the soon-to-be 32-year-old prepares for his eighth NBA season, he will potentially have his biggest role since arriving in the United States.
