Puerto Rico national team hopes to lure Carmelo Anthony

After the 10-time All-Star was shown the door by Houston after only 10 games in a Rockets uniform, the Puerto Rico national team stepped up to show Anthony some love and welcome him to its roster

"I'm a big fan of Carmelo not only as a basketball player, but more importantly as one of our Puerto Rican heroes," Puerto Rico federation president Yum Ramos told ESPN. "He and his foundation have done a lot for Puerto Rico. I think along with J.J. Barea, Carmelo could make a huge impact on the team and help lift the spirits of our country."

Anthony, whose father is of Puerto Rican descent, is the all-time leading scorer for Team USA in the Olympics and has won three gold and one bronze medal for the stars and stripes. He needs a waiver to compete for Puerto Rico, but that’s a simple process that’s worth it for the island and its fans.

Anthony lobbied for relief efforts for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria rocked the island in September 2017. According to Barea, another advocate for Puerto Rico, Anthony can do even more good by wearing the territory's jersey in international play.

"With his connection to Puerto Rico, his NBA stardom and his experiences, our fans would love it," Barea said. "We tried a bunch to get him in the past, but of course nobody blamed him for playing for Team USA. But if he ever wants a chance to represent us, it would be awesome to have him."

I’ve set up a @YouCaring page to aid the relief efforts in Puerto Rico. We need your help in this fight.Donate: https://t.co/SKjHbMlijs pic.twitter.com/oKgrCNoqGR

— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) September 22, 2017