Carmelo Anthony takes a lot of criticism for a variety of reasons, some more justified than others.
He’s been a key part of Team USA basketball in Rio, helping them through a few surprisingly close early contests. It’s also his fourth Olympics, so his love for the event is certainly not in question.
As the team has a few days off this week in preparation for their quarterfinal game against Argentina, Carmelo took advantage of the time to do some sight-seeing. But rather than visiting a high-end beach resort or sampling some Rio nightlife (well, he may have done that too), he took a trip to a favela.
That’s a pretty cool thing for Anthony to do. If you’re not aware, favelas are essentially slums or shanty-towns, the poorest neighborhoods and areas in Rio. It’s important to remember that these areas exist outside the structured, coordinated spectacle of the Olympics themselves.
Hopefully more athletes follow Anthony’s lead over the final week of the Olympics.