“We Drank Every Single Day,” Carmelo Anthony and ‘Boogie’ Cousins Air Out Team USA Secrets From 2016

Carmelo Anthony and DeMar Cousins admitted that off-court habits of the 2016 Team USA often got the better of them.

“We Drank Every Single Day,” Carmelo Anthony and ‘Boogie’ Cousins Air Out Team USA Secrets From 2016

Carmelo Anthony and DeMarcus Cousins (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Carmelo Anthony and DeMarcus Cousins revealed they drank every day during the 2016 Olympics.
  • DeMar DeRozan expressed that the 2016 Team USA doesn't receive enough recognition despite their success.
  • The 2016 team faced tough competition but ultimately won the gold medal, marking their third consecutive victory.

The United States men’s national basketball team for the 2016 Olympics in Rio boasted some of the best players in the world back in the day. Since missing out on the gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics, Team USA have gone on to claim gold in the next five editions.

The 2016 roster was a stacked group filled with NBA talent that included names like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, DeMarcus Cousins, DeMar DeRozan, Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and more. That year, Irving was coming off a historic NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers after taking out the Golden State Warriors with Green and Thompson.

While for the remaining players in the roster, the majority of them were All-Stars. Thus, making them one of the most difficult teams to beat. Anthony was still playing for the New York Knicks, where he went on to be one of the greatest players in the franchise’s history, while, Cousins was playing for the New Orleans Pelicans and was selected in the All-NBA Second Team.

Since announcing his retirement in 2023, Anthony joined NBC Sports as a studio analyst for the 2025-26 campaign. Meanwhile, Cousins last played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets in 2022. He currently serves as an analyst on Run It Back on FanDuel TV.

The two former Team USA teammates sat down together on Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast and reminisced about their memories from the Olympics Village in 2016. Cousins led the charge by saying:

It was like we were on the block. Cards every night, We was getting lit. Every single night bro. We drank every single day.

Anthony then interrupted with:

We was responsibly drinking.

Cousins immediately shut that notion, saying:

F*** no, I have never drank that much in my life. We had all the sh*t in the world.

The conversation gave another side of what happens behind the scenes. People usually imagine intense preparation and pressure-packed performances, but Team USA seemed to have more than enjoyed their time at the Olympic Village.

DeMar DeRozan thinks the 2016 Team USA doesn’t get enough love

There have been historic teams that have represented the United States over the years. The 1992 roster of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and more was nicknamed the “Dream Team”.

Then in 2008, the team was nicknamed the “Redeem Team”. It was in reference to the fact that the United States came away with disappointing bronze medals during the 2004 Summer Olympics. The team was led by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Anthony, just to name a few.

And the most recent star-studded roster in 2024, comprising James, Stephen Curry, Durant, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, and more. Many went on to nickname the team the “Avengers”.

However, the 2016 team were left out despite winning the gold medal. 2016 member DeMar DeRozan wondered why no one talks about a well-oiled and cohesive 2016 U.S. men’s basketball team for the Rio Olympics on Anthony’s podcast.

2016 Olympics Team USA squad
2016 Olympics Team USA squad (Image credits – ESPN)

They never talk about our 2016 team like that. You never hear nobody talk about it. But besides what you seen on the court, we did everything together. From the bus, to the plane, to eating, we all messed with each other, heavy. It wasn’t never a dull day of us just cracking jokes. That team was special. Nobody had egos out there. It was a vibe every time we went out there to play because we were playing for one another, not just our country.

However, considering that top players like James, Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden did not participate, it did not generate the same level of hype and excitement as the other teams.

Team USA faced a tough path

Without Bryant and James, that 2016 team relied on the veteran leadership of Durant and Anthony. While on paper they were undoubtedly the strongest team, they did face a tough path to the final.

They had to go through teams like the Australia men’s national basketball team, the France men’s national basketball team, and the Spain men’s national basketball team before reaching the gold-medal game. 

In the final, they took on the Serbian men’s national basketball team and pulled away with a comfortable win, their third successive gold medal. They went on to add two more in 2021 and 2024. Despite the drinking spree they were on, it was amazing to see their dominance in the game.

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