Photo: Andrei de Guzman/TalkBasket.net

Carmelo Anthony recently echoed Kevin Durant’s sentiment, declaring that basketball belongs to the United States.

“The game is our game. We’re the forefront, the NBA. We’re the culture to the rest of the world,” Anthony stated.

He emphasized that American players and the NBA set the standard for global basketball culture.

Anthony acknowledged the global growth of the sport but highlighted that other regions are still catching up.

“I’m seeing the game globally,” he said. “I’m on the other side, around the world, and I’m also in conversations and understanding where they’re at when it comes to our game.”

He supported Durant’s view that the United States has shaped how the game is played and presented worldwide.

“We want to get there like, I want to be that, I wanna do that… It’s just not there yet,” Anthony added. “I feel KD’s sentiment when he says ‘This is our game.’ Yes, this is our game.”

Anthony underscored the U.S. role in showcasing and defining the sport’s excitement and style.

“We’re going to bring this excitement. This is what we do,” he continued. “We are great. We have great players. We have different levels of great players.”

His remarks came in response to Durant’s comment, “This is our game,” following Team USA’s gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics.