A more mature Carmelo Anthony finds himself as Team USA's leader

Anthony has averaged at least 20 points a game in each of his 13 NBA seasons, and his career average of 24.9 is 13th best in league history. He's made almost $200 million in salary and tens of millions more in endorsements. He's widely regarded as a great player by his peers.

And yet he's often defined in the public imagination by the fact he has not played in a postseason game since 2013 and has made it as far as the conference finals just once.

Meanwhile, two other players from his draft class — James and Wade — have won three championship rings apiece, and both have been Finals MVP. They happen to be among Anthony's best friends in the league, and he's never bristled outwardly at the comparisons. He says he'll be satisfied with his career whether he wins an NBA title or not.

But that doesn't stop critics from saying he's a wonderfully gifted scorer who's not cut out to be the best player on a champion.

Which is where the Olympics enter as a counterpoint in the assessment of his legacy.

Anthony is the first U.S. man to play on four Olympic basketball teams and early in the 2016 Games, he passed James and Michael Jordan to become the leading Olympic scorer in his nation's history.

On this year's young, inexperienced U.S. team, he's both the voice of wisdom and one of the players most likely to sink a shot at a tense moment. The U.S. might not have beaten a feisty Australian team without Anthony's 31 points. And his 3-pointer also provided the necessary cushion in a 100-97 nail biter against France.

He's a nightmare match-up for international teams — too powerful for their wing defenders and too quick and skilled for their lumbering big men.

"He's been big for us, all the time but especially this year," Boeheim said.

Teammates and coaches will tell you his importance goes beyond that.

"He's been a huge influence," Indiana Pacers star Paul George said. "Melo, coming into this, is probably one of the biggest reasons I wanted to be involved. When I heard he was going to stay and be a part of this team, I was instantly thrilled about the chance of playing alongside him."

Anthony has made it cool for younger players to join the national team, said P.J. Carlesimo, who served as an assistant coach on the original Dream Team and calls the 2016 games for Westwood One radio.

"He's huge because of the message he sends to the other players in the league," Carlesimo said. "The other players are acutely aware of making that commitment to USA Basketball, and Melo's one of the main reasons that perception has turned around."

It's striking talking to the other star players about Anthony, because their admiration for both his game and his personality is so apparent. They find it ridiculous that he faces so much scrutiny for being stuck on a losing team.

"We live in a world where, of course, winning is the paramount," new Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant said. "And that's the way it should be. But at the same time, if you look at the grand scheme of life, Melo's legacy both on and off the court, in his community and with his family, is unmatched. We appreciate him."

George called Anthony "the big brother of our league."

That was not always the case.

Anthony acknowledges he was immature and stumbled into his share of mistakes as a young NBA star. In 2004, he appeared briefly in a video created in Baltimore that warned youths to "Stop Snitchin' " to police; he was suspended 15 games for his role in a brawl at Madison Square Garden in 2006; and was arrested for drunk driving in Denver in 2008.

"I can look back and say that I never was perfect," he said. "I made mistakes before in my career, but now I can accept that, because they made me the person I am today."

His first Olympic experience in 2004 also ended unhappily as a young team featuring Anthony, James and Wade lost to Argentina in the semifinals and had to settle for a bronze medal.

Anthony and his teammates watched Argentina defeat Italy in the gold-medal game, and they resolved never to be in that miserable position again. With Krzyzewski at the helm, the U.S. went undefeated at both the 2008 and 2012 Games.

This year has been different. Though the team is undefeated, several of its games have been too close for comfort. Most of Anthony's old running buddies opted to rest their aging bodies this summer.

He's the only link left to the national team that rose from the ashes of 2004. Krzyzewski, the head coach for a third and final Olympics, is grateful for his continued presence.

"To have somebody who's had a four-cycle commitment to the Olympics is spectacular," he said. "He's not only been an outstanding player for us, he's been an outstanding leader for us in this. We've been very, very fortunate to have him."

Anthony didn't seek the leadership role.

"I think I was kind of the leader of this team by default," he said, laughing. "For me, this is something that's very genuine, very natural, very organic, for me to just come in and be that guy who's there for them to talk to, to give advice."

He added that his decision to speak out about Gray's death and other social issues felt equally natural.

"Things were happening right in my backyard, being in Baltimore," he said. "Having the opportunity to go down there and experience that and see the people and talk to the people and still see what's going on back there to this day, I think that's what kind of sparked me to talk from the heart and speak to the people."