Carmelo Anthony loves his mother very much, but there are limits.

When Anthony won a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics, he gave it to his mother, Mary, and it's on display in her Baltimore home.

But who gets the gold medal if Anthony brings one home from Beijing?

"Me," the Nuggets forward said. "I'm going to get it."

The quest for gold begins in earnest today when Anthony and the Americans begin training camp in Las Vegas. They will play an exhibition game Friday in Las Vegas, against Canada, then head to China for four exhibitions before Olympic play begins Aug. 10.

After the 2004 disaster, USA Basketball put together a core team.

This is the third straight summer players have been together.

"(It's easier) than putting together a team for two weeks and sending us out there and just telling us to go out and win the gold medal," Anthony said earlier this month. "(It's easier) having guys together for three years to prepare for the biggest stage in the world."

Anthony stumbled the last time he stepped on such a stage, playing sparingly and having coach Larry Brown saying Anthony wasn't buying into the team concept. Anthony said he and the several other young players on that team were "thrown to the wolves" but that the Americans are ready to "redeem" themselves.

If they do that, Anthony will hold on to the medal.

SUMMER LEAGUE: The Nuggets went 4-1 in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, with guard Dahntay Jones averaging 18.4 points and forward Elton Brown 13.4 points and 10 rebounds. Swingmen Bobby Jones and Sonny Weems, a rookie, averaged 10 and 9.2 points, respectively. Point guard Taurean Green, whose contract is only guaranteed if not waived by Aug. 1, showed little, averaging 6.5 points and 1.6 assists while shooting 23.3 percent.