Carmelo Anthony takes a break from carrying Team USA to troll critics on Instagram

Carmelo Anthony has been almost single-handedly dragging an underachieving Team USA to victory of late, and the prospect of him as the best player on a gold medal team has whipped the NBA #TAKES community into a fury.

Melo then stoked the fires of rage even further by having the audacity — the unmitigated gall — to tell ESPN’s Marc Stein that he might actually be at peace with his basketball career, even if he never wins a title:

"Most athletes don't have an opportunity to say that they won a gold medal, better yet three gold medals. I would be very happy walking away from the game knowing that I've given the game everything I have, knowing I played on a high level at every level: high school, college, won [a championship at Syracuse] in college and possibly three gold medals.

"I can look back on it when my career is over -- if I don't have an NBA championship ring -- and say I had a great career."

Harrumph! That didn’t sit too well with certain members of the media — specifically ones whose names rhyme with “Beefin’ A. Griff.” Undaunted, Melo took to Instagram with this post:

Hehe. Melo currently plays pro basketball for our favorite team, so I guess we’re supposed to be outraged by his statement. Please don’t be. This guy wants to win a title with the Knicks, and he’s busted his ass over the years to make them a better team. He’s an alright dude.