From 2004 to 2016, Carmelo Anthony has been a common fixture for Team USA. He’s seen the lows and highs of the program, and became part of the solution.

With an Olympic career that spans four editions of these summer games, he has become the most prominent figure for USA Basketball. But that did not come without huge sacrifices.

In fact, coach Mike Krzyzewski heralded his star forward, in a recent article by Michael Lee of The Vertical, for his commitment and dedication.

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“We ask the guys for a commitment and selfless service. But Carmelo is a perfect example of commitment for the Olympics. That’s his entire playing career and to devote that amount of time is remarkable really, and it’s not been done. He’s been such a good guy to coach.”

In a time when players have a lot going on for them, career-wise, playing for country instantly entails huge sacrifices, especially for a superstar like Carmelo Anthony. While his other buddies begged off from the invitation, Anthony embraced the challenge, and he is now reaping the rewards

These two basketball figures have already made their final contributions to USA Basketball, and time for them to pass the torch.