Team USA making statement early
Whether it was the "Redeem Team" in 2008, or the team that took home the gold in London in 2012, collectively, Team USA has won the gold in the last 2 Olympic Games heading into Rio in 2016. No matter where Team USA plays, and no matter the circumstance, they are always the odds-on favorite, and the team to watch.
Tipping off the Rio Olympics 2016 against China, the red, white, and blue of Team USA looked as strong and as on top of their game as they've ever been, making a profound opening statement yet again that the gold is theirs to lose.
Newest Golden Sate Warrior Kevin Durant came out with a vengeance, putting up a team-high 25 points en route to a 119-62 throttling of the Chinese national team.
Sacramento Kings Center DeMarcus Cousins and Indiana Pacer Paul George finished what Kevin Durant started, as the pair put in 17 and 15 points respectively to go along with Durant's 25.
Carmelo Anthony makes Olympic history
Elder statesman (and New York Knick) Carmelo Anthony added 9 points of his own on his way to making Olympic history. With his participation in this year's Olympic Games, Carmelo Anthony becomes the first man to play the game of Basketball in four different Olympic Games (Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, and London in 2012).
Furthermore, if Team USA does secure the gold medal in this year's games, Anthony will also become the first three-time gold medalist in the sport. While Melo certainly has not had success in the NBA in terms of winning championships, he is certainly the most successful player in the history of USA basketball, and that, in and of itself, is quite the accomplishment.
Following this first win, Team USA will face the Venezuelan national team on Monday, August 8th. While in many ways these first few rounds should be nothing less than blowouts, it's still a great thing to watch as a fan of the game of basketball. The competition is likely to heat up in the later rounds, however, so be sure to keep an eye on that as the games progress.
