Ranking the 5 best USA Men's Basketball teams in Olympics history

The USA men's basketball team has dominated at the Olympics ever since it has participated, taking gold in 15 of the 18 tournaments it appeared in. Since professional players were allowed to play, from 1992 onwards, America has dominated too, winning the gold medal in six of the last seven tournaments mainly due to their NBA talent.

Checkout: USA Olympic Basketball Team 2021

Even as the competition continues to get tougher by the dribble, the USA men's basketball squad still has the most impressive roster in almost every international tournament. The 1992 'Dream Team' at Barcelona changed a lot in international basketball tournaments, as the USA men's basketball team became one of the big attractions of the Summer Olympics ever since.

Five best USA Men's Basketball teams in Olympics history

USA’s Men’s Basketball just lost in the Olympics for the first time since 2004 and honestly they were beat by a better team. the days of just showing up and running pickup and having the other team ask for pictures after getting waxed by 40 is over.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) July 25, 2021

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Though Argentina (2004) stopped the USA men's basketball's dominance since 1992, they've pretty much sent 'dream' teams to every tournament. Now, the USA continue to be favorites to win the gold medal at the 2021 Olympics, but the field has definitely caught up, as France already defeated them and teams like Spain, Australia and Slovenia could definitely pose more than a slight threat.

Be it as it may, we're focusing on the USA men's basketball squad's dominance in Olympics' basketball in this article, and we will give you the best five USA teams in Olympics' history.

Without further ado, let us start.

Honorary Mention: 2004 USA men's basketball team at Athens

The USA men's basketball squad at the 2004 Olympics in Athens was sincerely a great one, though some of the star players were starting their NBA careers at the time.

Even though they only had a bronze medal to show for, the team had Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony and it was definitely interesting to watch before it collapsed.

#5 "The Big O and The Logo" - Rome 1960

This might be a bit of a far-fetched take given how basketball has evolved internationally and the absence, by rules, of players who were active in the NBA. However, when Jerry West and Oscar Robertson are on the same roster, it does not hurt to take a look and appreciate it.

The USA men's basketball team steamrolled through everyone at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, and the team definitely had some talent. Apart from West and Robertson, two legends of basketball, the roster also included Jerry Lucas and Walt Bellamy.

Checkout: USA Olympic Basketball Jersey Numbers

Moreover, the team had eight future NBA players who also became All-Stars in their careers. Among the eight future All-Stars in the 1960 team, there were 43 All-Star selections, headlined by West (14) and Robertson (12).

They won the gold medal easily, defeating every team, with a 24-point win over the then Soviet Union in the semifinals as the closest match of the tournament for them.

#4 Dream Team 2 - Atlanta 1996

Definitely an underrated USA men's basketball team, the 1996 squad surely deserves some analysis and praise for the team's construction. Headlined by dream-teamers Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, David Robinson, John Stockton and Scottie Pippen, the team also included all-time greats like Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and Reggie Miller.

The team won the gold medal at Atlanta 1996 in undefeated fashion and with dominance. The squad won the five games of the first round with a point differential of 177. Then, it beat Brazil by 33 points in the Quarterfinals, Australia by 28 in the Semifinals and FR Yugoslavia by 26 in the gold medal match at the Olympics.

#3 Redeem Team - Beijing 2008

The 2008 USA men's basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was named due to the United States' inability to take the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 World Cup.

With Kobe Bryant as the team's leader, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, and the rest of the team delivered for the US.

They dominated the tournament since the early stages, going undefeated in the five-game first round with a point differential of 161. They then took Australia down before taking revenge against Argentina in the semifinals.

In the gold medal game, the US squad defeated reigning World Champions Spain by 11 points to regain its place as the best in basketball.

Checkout: Olympic Basketball teams and Players

#2 New Dream Team - London 2012

Gold medallists the United States pose on the podium - 2012 Olympics.

Probably the closest version we've seen to the 1992 Dream Team, the 2012 USA men's basketball team was filled with superstars who were mostly in their prime. The team drew instant comparisons to the then 20-year-old 'Dream Team' as it had Kobe Bryant, reigning Finals MVP LeBron James, and soon-to-be MVP Kevin Durant.

Coached by Mike Krzyzewski, the team repeated the success from Beijing 2008 and took the gold medal against Spain in the final. Carmelo Anthony had one of the best single-game performances ever seen at the Olympics in the first round against Nigeria, putting up 37 points in 14 minutes of action.

The team went undefeated in the five-game first round with a 191 point differential and then beat Australia and Argentina to face Spain in the final. The deciding match was close, with the US taking the Olympic gold medal after winning by seven points (the second-closest final in Olympics' history).

The team also included future MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook, while a young Anthony Davis was also a member of the squad.

Also Checkout: Slovenia olympic basketball team 2021

#1 Dream Team - Barcelona 1992

Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.

The 1992 'Dream Team' that the US sent to the Barcelona Olympics is still mentioned by many as the greatest basketball team ever assembled, and it is hard to argue against it.

The team included Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. While Johnson and Bird were not at their full potential at the time, those three names were probably the three biggest in NBA history at that point. The team also included Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, John Stockton and Patrick Ewing, among other Hall-of-Famers like Clyde Drexler and Chris Mullin.

The other member of the team was collegiate star Christian Laettner. Laettner's success with Duke at the collegiate level helped him be selected over Shaquille O'Neal, who went on to become one of the greatest centers in league history.

And with Isiah Thomas out of the team, there is an argument that had the Detroit Pistons leader been added to the squad, the 'Dream Team' could've been even better, with O'Neal in the mix too.

The 'Dream Team' won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics after winning the final 117-85 against Croatia. The team, coached by Chuck Daly, won its games at the Olympics by an average margin of 44 points.