Expect America’s multi-millionaire National Basketball Association heroes to continue sacrificing their summers in quest of Olympic gold, even after returning the United States to global supremacy.

Smiles were still locked on the faces of the US NBA superstars after their 118-107 triumph over Spain in Sunday’s gold medal game when USA Basketball general manager Jerry Colangelo said half of them were ready to return in 2012.

“We’ll celebrate and then we will talk about going forward,” Colangelo said. “Five or six of these guys have said they want to be part of us going forward. But now it’s time for a rest.”

“Hell yeah,” answered US forward Carmelo Anthony. “I’ve been doing this for 40 years.”

Anthony, only 24, joined LeBron James and Dwyane Wade as seldom-seen reserves on the 2004 US team that settled for Olympic bronze. Their quest to redeem US honor and restore the once-mighty dynasty drove the US march to gold.