USA's basketball program has one problem which other countries would be only too glad to have, an overcrowded talent pool. If they were to field three teams with balance, there is a good chance that they'd sweep all the medals.
As the Olympics brings together the best of the talent from across the league, the players find themselves playing severely reduced minutes compared to what they are accustomed to. On one hand, the games are 8 minutes shorter compared to the NBA. On the other hand, there is too much talent to play anyone over 30 minutes.
Playing 29 minutes in international competition is the equivalent of playing 35 minutes in a 48 minute NBA match. No one has ever averaged over 20 points per game in the Olympics for the USA. This makes the top scorer’s list seem paltry, but it is anything but.
Even the 1992 Dream Team saw Charles Barkley leading the way with 18 points per game while Michael Jordan averaged 14.9 per contest.
That being said, there have been some consistent performers for Team USA recently. Here is a look at the top scorers for Team USA in the 21st century, spanning 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
5. Kevin Durant - 156 points (2012)
Kevin Durant is just 27 years old, and he has the highest per game scoring average for Team USA for any single Olympic tournament with 19.5 points per game. He narrowly edges out Adrian Dantley who averaged 19.3 points in the 1976 Olympics.
Durant's combination of length, athleticism, shooting touch and ball handling make the prospect of stopping him a virtual impossibility. His game seems tailor-made for international competition. He's almost 7 feet tall, don't let his officially listed height fool you. For him, three-pointers are free throws, and he could average percentages of 50-40-90 from the field, beyond the arc and from the charity stripe in a hiccup.
The only reason Durant occupies the 5th position on this list is because he's only participated in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He's just scored 25 points in the opener of the 2016 Olympics against China. But even if that 25 was added to this total, the positioning wouldn't change. So Durant stays at number 5 for now.
Look for Durant to be USA's all-time leading scorer in the Olympics before his career is over.
4. Dwyane Wade - 186 points (2004, 2008)
Dwyane Wade has only played in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Had he participated in 2012, he would be higher on this list. As it is, he holds averages of 11.6 points per game
There was a time not too long ago when Dwyane Wade was in the conversation of being among the Top 10 shooting guards of all time. While he never displayed the shooting touch from distance, he shaped his game along the lines of the classical shooting guards who would get theirs from the mid range and up close.
In the 2008 Olympics, Kobe Bryant firmly stamped his will on the sport of basketball with a clutch performance for the ages in the Finals. Lost in his heroics is the fact that Wade was actually the top scorer for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics with 128 points. He averaged 16 points per game in the 2008 Olympics, and 7.3 points per game in the 2004 Olympics.
3. Kobe Bryant - 217 points (2008, 2012)
The Black Mamba sparked rumours with his idle speculation to play in the 2016 Olympics, but he refrained from going out that way. Perhaps it is fitting that he had his best moments as an Olympian in 2008 when the games were held in China.
If the Dream Team shocked the world with its otherworldly popularity, the revelation of Kobe Bryant in China in 2008 was no less shocking. Mamba Mania was in full force in China, where Kobe has been visiting in the offseason for promotions and clinics.
In 2008, Kobe scored 120 points and averaged 15 points per game. In 2012 he took a back seat to the youngsters and scored 97 points in total while averaging 12.1 points per contest. One could argue that his popularity rivals that of Yao Ming himself in China, if it doesn't eclipse it that is.
Kobe had a chance to play for Team USA in 2000 and in 2004. Had he done so, and remained healthy enough to play this year, he would probably have retired with 5 Olympic medals. As it is, he carries two gold medals away with him.
2. Carmelo Anthony - 239 points (2004, 2008, 2012)
With his participation in the 2016 Olympics, Carmelo Anthony will become the most decorated USA basketball player of all time in the Olympics. He will be the only one to win four medals if USA wins one this time.
Although the league revolves around Stephen Curry and LeBron James and the evergreen San Antonio Spurs, the New York Knicks harbor one of the purest scorers of all time in Carmelo Anthony. He's seen his game slow down a notch with ankle and knee injuries, but he has still kept his game butter smooth and razor sharp.
Melo's jumper is a thing of beauty, and he's able to score from either block at will. He made his Olympic debut just a year after being drafted, but it wasn't a glorious outing for Team USA.
Carmelo recalls the losing experience, “It wasn’t a good experience. It wasn’t a good feeling. But I think it helped me. I think it helped our country to enjoy what we’re feeling now. I don’t want to feel what it’s like not winning a gold medal.”
Carmelo averaged 2.1, 11.5 and 16.2 points per game in 2004, 2008 and 2012. He now finds himself in the role which Kobe Bryant had shouldered recently for Team USA, that of the elderly mentor who's been there and done that.
1. LeBron James - 273 (2004, 2008, 2012)
LeBron James retains the throne of the king in this category with his 11.3 point average across three Olympics. He averaged 5.3, 15.5 and 13.2 points per game in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Even in the NBA, there isn't another player with LeBron's skill set and physique. When he has the ball in his hands, his other four teammates morph into greater scoring threats thanks to his playmaking proficiency. As a result, he's free to barrel his way to the rim.
What makes it even more impressive is that in the 2012 Olympics, LeBron also averaged 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He was basically capable of being a team unto himself.
While LeBron has posted a formidable total, he will almost certainly be eclipsed by Carmelo Anthony before the dust settles in Rio. And of course, Kevin Durant will be knocking down all records if he plays in just two more Olympics.
Guess the Lakers players!
