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Carmelo: Beating China by 57 was a 'statement to the rest of the world'

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

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Grandpa Melo isn't impressed with Team USA's 57-point thrashing of China in their opening game of the Olympics.

Instead, the four-time Olympian insists that the overwhelming medal favorites have even more in the tank. Saturday's 119-62 victory was nothing more than a stiff warning for the other 11 teams vying for gold, according to Carmelo Anthony.

Related: Which teams have the best shot at beating the U.S.?

"We won by almost 60 points, we still can be better," Anthony told reporters in Rio de Janiero. "That makes us scary. That makes it fun. We wanted to send a statement to the rest of the world. We was locked in. It was about business."

The message is clear: Even with a shorthanded roster, the United States is the best by a mile when it comes to international basketball. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard all chose to sit out - but the Americans can still steamroll the competition with a B-team.

Anthony isn't worried about any team aside from his own. He conceded that there's "some good teams out there," but ultimately, "we're not really concerned about anybody else."

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