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

#3 Redeem Team - Beijing 2008

2008 USA men's basketball team.

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

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#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

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#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.

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