Donald Trump, La La Anthony, Carmelo Anthony
 

Now one of the NBA's older stars, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is one of the league's loudest spokesmen for social justice. Anthony, 32, addressed social activism at last summer's ESPYs and during New York Fashion Week, his son wore a Hillary Clinton shirt on the runway.

On Wednesday, one day after Donald Trump defeated Clinton in the presidential election, Anthony was asked about politics, as well as basketball.

"I wasn't honestly surprised, to be honest with you," Anthony says, per ESPN.com's Ian Begley. "I wasn't surprised. The way that things are going now in this country, the educated and uneducated, the people that is out there who was voting, I wasn't surprised at that."

Although some athletes may be annoyed by political questions this week, Anthony has made social activism a part of his image, and he was prepared with a bit of inspiration for nervous parents.

"Now it's our responsibility as men and women take it into our own hands, be role models and be our own leaders at this point, regardless of kind of who's the commander in chief," Anthony says. "I think we have more of a responsibility now, especially with the youth and kind of educating them. I've talked to youth, I've talked to kids today, this morning, my family. You could just hear kind of the nervousness. They're afraid. They don't know what to think. People don't know what to do at this point. So I think it's up to us as individuals to kind of just take that responsibility and lead, everybody got to lead in their own way. We can't rely on a system or one person. We got to move on from that."

In short, Anthony, the son of a Puerto Rican father and African-American mother, advises those disappointed by the results of the 2016 election to be responsible parents and role models. He is saying it is on the citizens, not a system or sole leader, to set social standards.

In a Bleacher Report piece two weeks before Election Day, Anthony said he was "past the gestures" of something along the lines of a national anthem protest.

"It’s all about creating things now and putting things in motion. So, that’s what I’m on," he added.

Anthony also had 22 points in a 110-96 win over the Nets Wednesday. His 22.7 points per game through seven games is up from 21.8 ppg in 2015-16, his lowest total since 2004-05.

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