United States men's national basketball team

United States USA
FIBA Ranking	1st
Joined FIBA	1934
FIBA Zone	FIBA Americas
National Federation	USA Basketball
Coach	Mike Krzyzewski
Olympic Games
Appearances	16
Medals	Gold: 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008 Silver: 1972‡ Bronze: 1988, 2004
World Championships
Appearances	16
Medals	Gold: 1954, 1986, 1994, 2010 Silver: 1950, 1959, 1982 Bronze: 1974, 1990, 1998, 2006
FIBA Americas Championship
Appearances	9
Medals	Gold: 1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2007 Silver: 1989
Pan American Games
Appearances	16
Medals	Gold: 1951, 1955, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1975, 1979, 1983 Silver: 1987, 1995, 1999 Bronze: 1991, 2011
Uniforms
Home Away

The United States men's national basketball team represents the United States of America in international men's basketball. The USA is the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in all sixteen Olympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with thirteen golds. Two of its gold medal-winning squads were inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as teams in August 2010—the 1960 team, which featured six Hall of Famers (four players and two coaches), and the 1992 "Dream Team", featuring 13 Hall of Famers (10 players, three coaches).^[1] The United States is currently first in the FIBA World Rankings.

Traditionally composed of amateur players, a 1989 rule change by FIBA allowed USA Basketball to field teams with professional players. The first such team, known as the "Dream Team", won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, playing in the final against Croatia.^[2][3][4]

With the introduction of professionals, the team was able to spark a second run of dominance after capturing only a bronze medal in 1988. A team of professional players competed at the 1994 FIBA World Championship, finishing first. In 1996, 2000, and 2008, the USA again captured gold medals.

However, American dominance has lessened in recent years. Facing increased competition, the USA failed to win a medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, finishing sixth. The 2004 Summer Olympic team lost three games on its way to a bronze medal, a record that represented more losses in a single year than the country's Olympic teams had suffered in all previous Olympiads combined.

Determined to put an end to these failures, USA Basketball initiated a long-term project aimed at creating better, more cohesive teams. The USA won its first seven games at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan before losing against Greece in the semi-finals, ending the competition with the bronze medal. The USA won gold two years later, though, at the 2008 Summer Olympics with a dominant performance. This success was followed up at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, where despite fielding a roster featuring no players from the 2008 Olympic team, the USA did not lose a single game en route to defeating host Turkey for the gold medal, led by the tournament's MVP Kevin Durant.

History

1936–1968: Early dominance

See also: 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team

The United States possessed a clear advantage in the early decades of international play. The US men were dominant from the first Olympic tournament to hold basketball, held in Berlin in 1936, going 5–0 to win the gold, and joined by continental neighbors Canada and Mexico on the medal platform. Through the next six tournaments, the United States went undefeated, collecting gold while not losing a single contest in the games held in London, Helsinki, Melbourne, Rome, Tokyo, and Mexico City. Participation in these tournaments were limited to amateurs, but the US teams during this period featured players who would later go on to become superstars in professional basketball, including all-time greats Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Jerry Lucas; the latter three competed on the 1960 Rome team often credited as the best U.S. roster until the formation of the 1992 Dream Team.^[5]

Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, both briefly NBA stars, made the 1948 squad as Kentucky Wildcats, with 3-time Oklahoma State All-American and 6-time AAU All-American, and Hall of Famer Bob Kurland leading the way. The 1952 team included big man Clyde Lovellette, a future Hall of Famer and NBA star, but Kurland once again led the team to victory. The 1956 team was led by San Francisco Dons Bill Russell and K.C. Jones.

The 1960 team included a few future NBA players, including not just Robertson, Lucas and West, but also Terry Dischinger and Walt Bellamy.^[6]

1970s–1980s

1972 Controversy at Munich Olympics

Main article: Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics

The 1972 Olympic men's basketball gold medal game, marking the first ever loss for the USA in Olympic play, is arguably the most controversial in Olympic history. The United States rode their seven consecutive gold medals and 63–0 Olympic record to Munich for the 1972 Summer Olympics. The team won its first eight games in convincing fashion, setting up a final against the Soviet Union.^[7]

With three seconds left in the gold medal game, American forward Doug Collins sank two free throws to put the Americans up 50–49. However, the buzzer sounded before Collins' second free throw. Immediately following Collins' free throws, the Soviets inbounded the ball and failed to score. But one official had whistled play to stop with one second remaining after hearing the earlier horn and seeing a disturbance near the scorers table. The Soviets argued that they had requested a timeout before Collins' foul shots. The referees ordered the clock reset to three seconds and the game's final seconds replayed. However, the clock was in the process of being reset when the referees put the ball in play. The horn once again sounded as a length-of-the-court Soviet pass was being released from the inbounding player, the pass missed its mark, and the U.S. again began celebrating.

However, R. William Jones, Secretary General of FIBA, ordered the clock to be reset again at 0:03 and the game replayed from that point. This time, the Soviets' Alexander Belov and the USA's Kevin Joyce and Jim Forbes went up for the pass, and Belov caught the long pass from Ivan Edeshko at the foul line, sending the two Americans sprawling. Belov then drove to the basket for the layup and the winning points as the buzzer sounded. The U.S. team quickly filed a protest after the game, which was heard by a five-man Jury of Appeal. In a 3–2 decision (divided along ideological lines between Communist and non-Communist countries), the Jury voted down the protest and awarded the gold medals to the Soviet team.^[8] The U.S. players voted unanimously to refuse their silver medals, and at least one team member, Kenny Davis, has directed in his will that his heirs are never to accept the medals, even posthumously.^[9]

1976–1980: Bounce back and boycott

Main articles: Basketball at the 1976 Summer Olympics and Basketball at the 1980 Summer Olympics

After the controversial loss in Munich, 1976 saw Dean Smith coach the USA to a 7–0 record and its eighth Olympic gold medal in Montreal. The success at this tournament pushed The USA's all-time Olympic record to an impressive 78–1.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan prompted 62 countries, including the United States, to boycott the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.^[10]

The 1980 U.S. team, which featured a number of future NBA players, was the youngest American national team ever assembled. Unable to compete in the Olympics due to the boycott, it instead participated in the "Gold Medal Series", a series of games against NBA all-star teams in various U.S. cities, recording a 5–1 record.^[11]

1984 Olympics (Los Angeles)

Main article: Basketball at the 1984 Summer Olympics

In response to the American-led boycott of the 1980 games, the Soviet Union led a boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics. The Communist countries of Cuba, East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Mongolia, Afghanistan, North Korea, Vietnam, Angola, Ethiopia, and Laos participated in the boycott of the 1984 Games, held in Los Angeles.^[12]

Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Chris Mullin, future members of the '92 Dream Team, made their Olympic debuts. Jordan led the team with 17.1 points per game, and Bob Knight coached the team to an 8–0 record and another Olympic gold.

1988 Olympics (Seoul)

Main article: Basketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics

A roster that included future NBA all-stars David Robinson and Mitch Richmond came up short, winning the bronze medal. The American team lost its only game to the Soviets, 82–76, then went on to beat Australia 78–49 in the bronze medal game. Dan Majerle led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game.

1990s

1992 Olympics (Barcelona) – The Dream Team

Main article: 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team

In 1989, FIBA, international basketball's governing body, allowed professional NBA players to participate in the Olympics for the first time. Prior to the 1992 Summer Olympics, only European and South American professionals were allowed to play in the Olympics.

The team assembled by USA Basketball for the tournament in Barcelona in 1992 was one of the most illustrious collections of talent assembled in the history of international sport. Of the twelve players on the team, ten were named in 1996 among the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, the NBA's official list of the 50 greatest players of the league's first 50 years. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird served as co-captains.^[13]

Because of this star line-up, the team's games usually featured opposing teams asking for pregame photos and autographs with their U.S. opponents. The USA team was so much better than the competition that head coach Chuck Daly did not call a single timeout during the tournament.^[14] Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen became the first players to win both NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year, having played for the Chicago Bulls.

Regarding drug-testing the athletes, according to USA Basketball spokesperson Craig Miller, "Since 1990, all of our teams have been tested in competition. I believe since around 1988 we have also been subject to out-of-competition testing. We have been 100 percent fully compliant with USADA and WADA."^[15]

1994 FIBA World Championship (Canada) – Dream Team II^[16]

The United States fielded another team composed of professional players in the 1994 World Championship, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This was an entirely new roster, as USA Basketball elected to showcase stars who were not present at the 1992 Olympics. Composed primarily of younger NBA players, the team lacked the widespread appeal of its predecessor but nevertheless continued its dominance. Coached by Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors, this team easily captured the gold medal in tournament play.^[17]

1996 Olympics (Atlanta) – Dream Team III^[18]

Main article: Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics

The third team composed of NBA players participated in the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The star quality of the team was impressive as it featured five members of the original Dream Team (Barkley, Malone, Pippen, Robinson, and Stockton), plus two other members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal. Lenny Wilkens coached the team.

The Americans won another gold medal with an average margin of victory of 31.8 points per game. They captured the gold medal after defeating Yugoslavia 95–69.^[19] Scottie Pippen became the first (and so far, only) player to win both an NBA championship (with the Chicago Bulls) and a Olympic gold medal twice in the same year.

With Atlanta being home to the Hawks, these games were the first (and to this date, the only) Olympics to take place in a city with an NBA team since the league started allowing its players to compete in the Olympics.

1998 FIBA World Championship (Greece) – The Dirty Dozen

The World Championship in Athens, Greece was different from the previous teams, as none of its players were current members of NBA teams. The team was nicknamed the "Dirty Dozen" for its work ethic and teamwork. Because of a labor dispute that led to a lockout, no active NBA players were permitted to compete in the tournament. Undrafted free agent Brad Miller was the only member of the team who would go on to have a successful NBA career. Some of the other team members, including Trajan Langdon, Kiwane Garris and Michael Hawkins had brief spells in the NBA. All went on to have careers in Europe, with Langdon being named to the Euroleague's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. This unheralded team, composed largely of players from American colleges, the minor-league Continental Basketball Association or European pro leagues, captured a bronze medal, considered a solid achievement given the team's lack of top-notch talent.^[20] If there was no lockout, the team would have consisted of Tim Duncan, Tim Hardaway, Vin Baker, Gary Payton, Terrell Brandon, Kevin Garnett, Tom Gugliotta, Grant Hill, Allan Houston, Christian Laettner, Glen Rice, and Chris Webber.^[21]

2000s

2000 Olympics U.S. Men's Basketball Team

Main article: Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics

During the late 1990s, international basketball began to gather attention as more and more foreign players became stars in the NBA. Therefore, the 2000 U.S. team had the enormous task of proving that American basketball could remain the best in the world. The new team that was assembled again featured NBA players, but this time few of them were considered to be true superstars, as several elite players elected not to participate.

The U.S. team participated in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia and was coached by Rudy Tomjanovich. It won its first two games by lopsided margins, but faced more difficult competition thereafter. A preliminary game against Lithuania, the U.S. team won 85–76, marking the first time a team of professional American players failed to win by double digits. Two games later, in a 106–94 victory over France, Vince Carter pulled off one of the most famous dunks in basketball history, jumping over 2.18-metre (7 ft 2 in) French center Frédéric Weis on his way to the basket. (The French media would dub Carter's feat le dunk de la mort—"the dunk of death".)

A major shock came on the semifinals game when the United States managed to defeat Lithuania by only two points, 85–83, after Lithuanian star (and future NBA player, first with the Indiana Pacers and later with the Golden State Warriors) Šarūnas Jasikevičius missed a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game.

The closeness of the semifinal game was so shocking that NBC took the unusual step of showing the gold medal game live rather than on tape delay. (The game started around 2 pm Sydney time on Sunday October 1, which is late Saturday evening in the USA. NBC originally planned to show the game almost 24 hours later during its Sunday prime time broadcast.) The USA won the gold medal against France in a very close game, 85–75. Though the US went undefeated on its way to the gold medal, the team began to lose its aura of invincibility for the first time.^[22]

2002 FIBA World Championship (USA)

The 2002 team competed in the World Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Coached by George Karl, the team finished a surprisingly disappointing sixth in the competition. During the tournament, Argentina defeated the USA in the second preliminary round group stage, thus becoming the first team ever to defeat a USA team composed of NBA players. Serbia knocked out the USA in the quarter finals and then Spain repeated the outcome in the 5th place playoff.^[23] To a greater degree than in 2000, a number of top NBA players declined to participate, forcing USA Basketball to resort to picking mostly second-tier players. George Karl had a dispute with Paul Pierce, one of the few superstars on the team, which led to Karl benching Pierce, the team's leading scorer, in Team USA's final game. The group has been considered as one of sport's greatest flops, as they failed to produce as previous teams had. The United States lost 3 games in the tournament to countries with current or future NBA stars, like Argentina (led by Manu Ginóbili), Yugoslavia (led by Peja Stojaković and Vlade Divac) and Spain (led by Pau Gasol).

Two NBA superstars, Ray Allen and Jason Kidd, accepted roles to play on the World Championship team, but were unable to play on that team due to injuries. Many other superstars, including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kevin Garnett, turned down invitations to play in that tournament.

2004 Olympics (Athens) – The Nightmare Team

Main article: Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics

The close outcome of 2000 and the humiliating results of 2002 prompted a number of NBA superstars to agree to join the team for the FIBA Americas Championship 2003, which the squad was required to participate in to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics. The team easily cruised to a first-place finish, earning it a spot in Athens, Greece the following summer.

However, the dominant team that competed in 2003 could not be kept together. Nine of its 12 players elected not to participate in Athens. The revamped 2004 team consisted of some young NBA stars early in their careers, such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, but also included recent Most Valuable Players Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson. The team was coached by Larry Brown.

After struggles in several exhibition matches, the vulnerability of the 2004 team was confirmed when Puerto Rico defeated them 92–73 in the first game of the Olympic tournament in Athens. The 19 point defeat was the most lopsided loss for the USA in the history of international competition.

After winning close games against Greece and Australia, The USA fell to Lithuania, dropping to 2–2 in the Olympic tournament. Even after an 89–53 win over Angola, the Americans entered the knockout rounds in fourth place due to goal average, the lowest seed of their group. The Americans faced undefeated Spain in their quarterfinal game, winning 102–94.

However, the semi-final match saw the team defeated by Argentina, 89–81, ending the United States' hold on the gold medal. The USA did rebound to capture the bronze medal by defeating Lithuania.^[24] Still, it marked only the third time that an American team failed to win gold (excluding 1980 Moscow Olympics boycott), and the first time for an American team composed of professionals. Before 2004, American teams had only lost two games in all previous Olympic tournaments, whereas in this one the American team lost three.

2006–2008

Following the disappointments in 2002 and 2004, USA Basketball appointed Jerry Colangelo to be solely responsible for selecting the team. Colangelo made it clear that he would ask players for a three-year commitment—the 2006 FIBA World Championship and the 2008 Summer Olympics. In the 2006 Worlds, the team was eliminated by Greece at the semifinals, after a dramatic match. The head coach was Duke University's Mike Krzyzewski, with assistants Jim Boeheim, Mike D'Antoni, and Nate McMillan. While some prominent players, such as Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, stated that they did not plan to play for the team, superstars Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James publicly announced their commitment for the 2006 Worlds and the ensuing 2008 Olympics. Wade, James and Carmelo Anthony were named captains of the 2006 USA World Championship Team.

2008 Olympics (Beijing) – The Redeem Team

Main article: 2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team

See also: Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men and Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's team rosters

The USA players standing prior to a game against China in the Beijing Olympics

Oprah Winfrey with the Redeem Team at September 3 taping of season-opening September 8, 2008 Oprah Winfrey Show at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion

The United States dominated Group B in pool play, defeating China, Angola, Greece, world champion Spain, and Germany by an average of 32.2 points. After finishing first in their group, the USA earned the right to play the fourth-place finishers in Group A, Australia. The United States soundly defeated Australia 116–85 in the quarterfinal matchup led by Kobe Bryant's 25 points. Next up for the Americans in the semifinals was the 2004 Olympic gold medalist Argentina, led by Manu Ginóbili – the team that had beaten them in the semifinals four years prior. However Ginóbili was hobbled by an ankle injury and only played sparing minutes in the first half. Behind Carmelo Anthony's 21 points, the USA defeated Argentina 101–81 to reach the gold medal game.^[25]

On August 24, the United States defeated Spain 118–107 to capture the Olympic gold medal. The victory ended an eight year drought at major international competitions (Olympics & World Championships) and its first since the 2000 Olympics.

2010s

2010 FIBA World Championship (Turkey) – The B-Team

Main article: 2010 FIBA World Championship

See also: 2010 FIBA World Championship squads

Due to winning gold at the 2008 Olympics, the USA automatically qualified for the World Championships. The USA had not won the FIBA World Championship since 1994. It was initially believed that there would be only 2–3 spots available with most players returning from the 2008 Olympic team.^[26] However, by early July 2010, all ten invited players declined to participate either through injury, free agency, rest, or personal commitments.^[27] Due to the roster being filled with 12 new players and the lack of star power, the team was dubbed the "B-Team." Also, the coaches were criticized for selecting too many guards, inexperienced players, and the lack of tall players.

However, the young team won all 5 of its preliminary games, 4 of 5 of those by double digits (the exception being the win against Brazil by 2 points). The success continued in the knockout stage with victories by 55, 10, & 15. In the 2010 FIBA World Championship Final, the USA beat host nation Turkey by 17 points and clinched a berth in 2012 Olympics.^[28] Tournament MVP Kevin Durant broke several Team USA scoring records (most points in a tournament-205, most points in a single game-38, & PPG-22.8). In addition, Lamar Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers became the first player to win the NBA and FIBA World championships in the same year.

Team USA executive director Jerry Colangelo has said he's open to anyone from the Redeem Team to play in future tournaments.^[27]

2012 Olympics (London)

The USA has clinched a berth in the 2012 Olympics in London by virtue of its World Championship in Turkey. Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, and Deron Williams from the "Redeem Team" have all pledged their loyalty to the USA team and are willing to defend their Olympic title. Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, Lamar Odom, and Rudy Gay from the 2010 squad have also expressed interest in joining the 2012 Olympic Team. Team USA executive director Jerry Colangelo is planning a celebration gathering of 2008 and 2010 gold medalist teams during the summer of 2011 to prepare for the 2012 Olympic tournament. There will be no on-court activities.^[29]

Roster

2010 FIBA World Team rosterG		12	Gordon, Eric	&1000000000000002300000023 - December 25, 1988(1988-12-25)	75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	Los Angeles Clippers	USA !
1.5 !G	4	Billups, Chauncey	&1000000000000003500000035 - September 25, 1976(1976-09-25)	75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	New York Knicks	USA !
3.5 !F	5	Durant, Kevin	&1000000000000002300000023 - September 29, 1988(1988-09-29)	81 !6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	Oklahoma City Thunder	USA !
1.5 !G	6	Rose, Derrick	&1000000000000002300000023 - October 4, 1988(1988-10-04)	75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	Chicago Bulls	USA !
1.5 !G	7	Westbrook, Russell	&1000000000000002300000023 - November 12, 1988(1988-11-12)	75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	Oklahoma City Thunder	USA !
1.5 !G	8	Gay, Rudy	&1000000000000002500000025 - August 17, 1986(1986-08-17)	80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	Memphis Grizzlies	USA !
2.5 !G/F	9	Iguodala, Andre	&1000000000000002800000028 - January 28, 1984(1984-01-28)	78 !6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	Philadelphia 76ers	USA !
3.5 !F	10	Granger, Danny	&1000000000000002900000029 - April 20, 1983(1983-04-20)	80 !6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	Indiana Pacers	USA !
1.5 !G	11	Curry, Stephen	&1000000000000002400000024 - March 14, 1988(1988-03-14)	75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	Golden State Warriors	USA !
3.5 !F	14	Odom, Lamar	&1000000000000003200000032 - November 6, 1979(1979-11-06)	82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	Los Angeles Lakers	USA !
4.5 !F/C	13	Love, Kevin	&1000000000000002300000023 - September 7, 1988(1988-09-07)	82 !6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	Minnesota Timberwolves	USA !
5.0 !C	15	Chandler, Tyson	&1000000000000002900000029 - October 2, 1982(1982-10-02)	85 !7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)	Dallas Mavericks	USA !

Head coach

• Mike Krzyzewski

Assistant coach(es)

• Jim Boeheim
• Mike D'Antoni
• Nate McMillan
• Jerry Colangelo (executive director)

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Legend

• (C) Captain
• Club denotes current pro club

Competitive record

A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within the United States

Olympic Games Year Round Position Pld W L 1936 Champions 1st 5 5 0 1948 Champions 1st 8 8 0 1952 Champions 1st 8 8 0 1956 Champions 1st 8 8 0 1960 Champions 1st 9 9 0 1964 Champions 1st 9 9 0 1968 Champions 1st 9 9 0 1972 Runners-up 2nd 9 8 1 1976 Champions 1st 7 7 0 1980 1980 Summer Olympics boycott 1984 Champions 1st 8 8 0 1988 Third Place 3rd 8 7 1 1992 Champions 1st 8 8 0 1996 Champions 1st 8 8 0 2000 Champions 1st 8 8 0 2004 Third Place 3rd 8 5 3 2008 Champions 1st 8 8 0 2012 Qualified Total 13 Titles 16/17 128 123 5 FIBA World Championship Year Round Position Pld W L 1950 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 1 1954 Champions 1st 7 7 0 1959 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 3 1963 Semi-Finals 4th 9 6 3 1967 Semi-Finals 4th 9 7 2 1970 Quarter-Finals 5th 9 6 3 1974 Third Place 3rd 9 8 1 1978 Quarter-Finals 5th 7 3 4 1982 Runners-up 2nd 9 7 2 1986 Champions 1st 10 9 1 1990 Third Place 3rd 8 6 2 1994 Champions 1st 8 8 0 1998 Third Place 3rd 8 6 2 2002 Quarter-Finals 6th 9 6 3 2006 Third Place 3rd 9 8 1 2010 Champions 1st 9 9 0 Total 4 Titles 16/16 132 105 27 FIBA Americas Championship Year Round Position Pld W L 1980 Did not participate 1984 1988 1989 Runner-up 2nd 8 6 2 1992 Champions 1st 6 6 0 1993 Champions 1st 7 6 1 1995 Did not participate 1997 Champions 1st 9 8 1 1999 Champions 1st 10 10 0 2001 First Round 10th 4 0 4 2003 Champions 1st 10 10 0 2005 Semi-Finals 4th 10 4 6 2007 Champions 1st 10 10 0 2009 Did not participate 2011 Total 6 Titles 9/15 74 60 14 Pan American Games Year Round Position Pld W L 1951 Champions 1st 6 6 0 1955 Champions 1st 5 4 1 1959 Champions 1st 6 6 0 1963 Champions 1st 6 6 0 1967 Champions 1st 5 5 0 1971 Group Stage 7th 3 2 1 1975 Champions 1st 9 9 0 1979 Champions 1st 9 9 0 1983 Champions 1st 8 8 0 1987 Runners-up 2nd 7 6 1 1991 Third Place 3rd 7 6 1 1995 Runners-up 2nd 7 4 3 1999 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 1 2003 Semi-Finals 4th 5 2 3 2007 Quarter-Finals 5th 5 3 2 2011 Third Place 3rd 5 3 2 Total 8 Titles 16/16 98 83 15

Coaches

Olympics Head coach Event Won Lost Result Jimmy Needles 1936 Berlin 5 0 Omar Browning 1948 London 8 0 Warren Womble 1952 Helsinki 8 0 Nigel Gall 1956 Melbourne 8 0 Pete Newell 1960 Rome 8 0 Henry Iba 1964 Tokyo 9 0 Henry Iba 1968 Mexico City 9 0 Henry Iba 1972 Munich 8 1 Dean Smith 1976 Montreal 7 0 Bob Knight 1984 Los Angeles 8 0 John Thompson 1988 Seoul 7 1 Chuck Daly 1992 Barcelona 8 0 Lenny Wilkens 1996 Atlanta 8 0 Rudy Tomjanovich 2000 Sydney 8 0 Larry Brown 2004 Athens 5 3 Mike Krzyzewski 2008 Beijing 8 0

FIBA World Championships Head coach Event Won Lost Result Gordon Carpenter 1950 Argentina 5 1 Warren Womble 1954 Brazil 9 0 Charles Bennett 1959 Chile 7 2 Garland Pinholster 1963 Brazil 6 3 4th Hal Fischer 1967 Uruguay 7 2 4th Hal Fischer 1970 Yugoslavia 6 3 5th Gene Bartow 1974 Puerto Rico 6 4 Bill Oates 1978 Philippines 9 1 5th Bob Weltlich 1982 Colombia 7 2 Lute Olson 1986 Spain 9 1 Mike Krzyzewski 1990 Argentina 6 2 Don Nelson 1994 Canada 8 0 Rudy Tomjanovich 1998 Greece 7 2 George Karl 2002 United States 6 3 6th Mike Krzyzewski 2006 Japan 8 1 Mike Krzyzewski 2010 Turkey 9 0

Past rosters

• 1936 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 21 teams

Frank Lubin, Sam Balter, Ralph Bishop, Joe Fortenberry, John Gibbons, Francis Johnson, Carl Knowles, Art Mollner, Donald Piper, Jack Ragland, Willard Schmidt, Carl Shy, Duane Swanson, William Wheatley (Coach: Jim Needles)

• 1948 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 23 teams

Bob Kurland, Gordon Carpenter, Clifford Barker, Don Barksdale, Ralph Beard, Lewis Beck, Vincent Boryla, Alex Groza, Wallace Jones, Ray Lumpp, Robert Pitts, Jesse Renick, Jack Robinson, Ken Rollins (Coach: Omar Browning)

• 1950 World Championship: finished 2nd among 10 teams

John Stanich, Bob Fisher, Bryce Heffley, Tom Jaquet, Dan Kahler, John Langdon, Les Metzger, J. L. Parks, Jimmy Reese, Don Slocum, Blake Williams (Coach: Gordon Carpenter)

• 1952 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 23 teams

Bob Kurland, Howard Williams, Dan Pippin, William Hougland, Charles Hoag, Clyde Lovellette, Melvin Kelley, Robert Kenney, Marcus Freiberger, Ronald Bontemps, Victor Wayne Glasgow, Frank McCabe, John Keller, Bill Lienhard (Coach: Warren Womble)

• 1954 World Championship: finished 1st among 12 teams

Joe Stratton, B. H. Born, Richard Gott, Forrest Hamilton, Bill Johnson, Allen Kelley, Kirby Minter, Don Penwell, Dick Retherford, Kendall Sheets, Ed Solomon, Jerry Arkarath (Coach: Warren Womble)

• 1956 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 15 teams

Bill Russell, William Hougland, Kenneth "K.C." Jones, Gilbert Ford, Burdette Haldorson, Carl Cain, Dick Boushka, James Walsh, Charles Darling, William Evans, Robert Jeangerard, Ron Tomsic (Coach: Gerald Tucker)

• 1959 World Championship: finished 2nd among 13 teams

Jerry Vayda, Dick Baker, Jim Coshow, Hank D'Antonio, Bob Hodges, Eddie White, Robert Jeangerard, Henry McDonald, John F. Miller, Ronald Olsen, Virgil Riley, Dick Welsh (Coach: Charles "Buzz" Bennett)

• 1960 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 16 teams

Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Walter Bellamy, Jerry Lucas, Jay Arnette, Bob Boozer, Terry Dischinger, Adrian Smith, Burdette Haldorson, Lester Lane, Darrall Imhoff, Allen Kelley (Coach: Pete Newell)

• 1963 World Championship: finished 4th among 13 teams

Pete McCaffrey, Mel Peterson, Willis Reed, Mel Gibson, Bunk Adams, Jerry Shipp, Lucious Jackson, Charlie Bowerman, Walt Torrence, Vinnie Ernst, Ed Smallwood, Don Kojis (Coach: Garland Pinholster)

• 1964 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 16 teams

Bill Bradley, Larry Brown, Jim Barnes, Joe Caldwell, Pete McCaffrey, Melvin Counts, Dick Davies, Walt Hazzard, Lucious Jackson, Jerry Shipp, Jeff Mullins, George Wilson (Coach: Henry “Hank” Iba)

• 1967 World Championship: finished 4th among 13 teams

Stan McKenzie, Vern Benson, Darius Cunningham, John Clawson, Jay Miller, Mike Silliman, Charles Paulk, Mike Barrett, Darel Carrier, Al Tucker, Kendall Rhine, Jim Williams (Coach: Hal Fischer)

• 1968 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 16 teams

Spencer Haywood, Mike Barrett, John Clawson, Don Dee, Calvin Fowler, Joseph "Jo Jo" White, Bill Hosket, Jim King, Glynn Saulters, Charles Scott, Mike Silliman, Ken Spain (Coach: Henry “Hank” Iba)

• 1970 World Championship: finished 5th among 13 teams

Tal Brody, Bill Walton, Kenny Washington, Brad Luchini, Michael Silliman, Bob Wolfe, Jim Williams, Art Wilmore, Darnell Hillman, Stan Isaac, Bruce McDonald, Garfield Smith (Coach: Hal Fischer)

• 1972 Olympic Games: finished 2nd among 16 teams

Doug Collins, Jim Brewer, Ed Ratleff, Dwight Jones, Thomas Henderson, Tommy Burleson, Kevin Joyce, Bobby Jones, Kenny Davis, Mike Bantom, James Forbes, Tom McMillen (Coach: Henry “Hank” Iba)

• 1974 World Championship: finished 3rd among 14 teams

John Lucas, Tom Boswell, Joe Meriweather, Rick Schmidt, Rich Kelley, Quinn Buckner, Myron Wilkins, Steve Grote, Luther Burden, Frank Oleynick, Eugene Short, Gus Gerard (Coach: Gene Bartow)

• 1976 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 12 teams

Adrian Dantley, Phil Ford, Steve Sheppard, Phil Hubbard, Mitch Kupchak, Michael "Tate" Armstrong, Quinn Buckner, Kenny Carr, Walter Davis, Ernie Grunfeld, Tom LaGarde, Scott May (Coach: Dean Smith)

• 1978 World Championship: finished 5th among 14 teams

Irvin Kiffin, Wayne Smith, Tim Hall, Derrick Jackson, Eugene Parker, Tom Schneeberger, Ernst Wansley, Marvin Delph, Ralph Drollinger, Brad Hoffman, Mike Jackson (Coach: Bill Oates)

• 1980 Olympic Games: did not participate
• 1982 World Championship: finished 2nd among 13 teams

Doc Rivers, Antoine Carr, John Pinone, Mitchell Wiggins, Jeff Turner, Joe Kleine, Earl Jones, Ted Kitchel, Fred Reynolds, Jon Sundvold, Jim Thomas, Mark West (Coach: Bob Weltlich)

• 1984 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 12 teams

Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Sam Perkins, Steve Alford, Vern Fleming, Joe Kleine, Jon Koncak, Alvin Robertson, Wayman Tisdale, Jeff Turner, Leon Wood (Coach: Bobby Knight)

• 1986 World Championship: finished 1st among 24 teams

David Robinson, Rony Seikaly, Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, Brian Shaw, Charles D. Smith, Kenny Smith, Derrick McKey, Tommy Amaker, Tom Hammonds, Armon Gilliam (Coach: Lute Olson)

• 1988 Olympic Games: finished 3rd among 12 teams

David Robinson, Mitch Richmond, Stacey Augmon, Danny Manning, Dan Majerle, J.R. Reid, Willie Anderson, Charles E. Smith, Hersey Hawkins, Charles D. Smith, Vernell Coles, Jeff Grayer (Coach: John Thompson)

• 1990 World Championship: finished 3rd among 16 teams

Alonzo Mourning, Chris Gatling, Christian Laettner, Henry Williams, Kenny Anderson, Todd Day, Lee Mayberry, Billy Owens, Mark Randall, Chris Smith, Doug Smith, Bryant Stith (Coach: Mike Krzyzewski)

• 1992 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 12 teams

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Chris Mullin, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Christian Laettner (Coach: Chuck Daly)

• 1994 World Championship: finished 1st among 16 teams

Shaquille O'Neal, Dominique Wilkins, Alonzo Mourning, Shawn Kemp, Reggie Miller, Derrick Coleman, Joe Dumars, Kevin Johnson, Mark Price, Steve Smith, Dan Majerle, Larry Johnson (Coach: Don Nelson)

• 1996 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 12 teams

Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton, David Robinson, Gary Payton, Anfernee Hardaway, Grant Hill, Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond (Coach: Lenny Wilkens)

• 1998 World Championship: finished 3rd among 16 teams

Trajan Langdon, Michael Hawkins, Wendell Alexis, Brad Miller, Bill Edwards, Kiwane Garris, Ashraf Amaya, Jason Sasser, Jimmy Oliver, Jimmy King, Gerard King, David Wood (Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich)

• 2000 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 12 teams

Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Gary Payton, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Steve Smith, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Vin Baker, Allan Houston, Antonio McDyess (Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich)

• 2002 World Championship: finished 6th among 16 teams

Reggie Miller, Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, Jermaine O'Neal, Shawn Marion, Baron Davis, Antonio Davis, Michael Finley, Andre Miller, Jay Williams, Elton Brand, Raef LaFrentz (Coach: George Karl)

• 2004 Olympic Games: finished 3rd among 12 teams

Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amar'e Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Carlos Boozer, Carmelo Anthony, Stephon Marbury, Richard Jefferson, Lamar Odom, Emeka Okafor (Coach: Larry Brown)

• 2006 World Championship: finished 3rd among 24 teams

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Shane Battier, Brad Miller, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Elton Brand, Antawn Jamison, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Paul, Joe Johnson (Coach: Mike Krzyzewski)

• 2008 Olympic Games: finished 1st among 12 teams

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Deron Williams (Coach: Mike Krzyzewski, Assistant Coaches: Jay Triano, Mike D'Antoni, Jim Boeheim, Nate McMillan)

• 2010 World Championship: finished 1st among 24 teams

Chauncey Billups, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, Danny Granger, Stephen Curry, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Tyson Chandler, (Coach: Mike Krzyzewski)

See also

• United States at the team sports international competitions
• United States women's national basketball team

References

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2. ^ The Oakland Press: Sports Columnists: The Dream Team is over and what's left is a nightmare^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "PopMatters Sports Feature | The Globalized Association". Popmatters.com. http://www.popmatters.com/sports/features/030128-globalnba.shtml. Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
4. ^ Dreaming about the Dream Team • vabulous69's Blog – FOX Sports Blogs
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26. ^ Sheridan, Chris (2009-07-22). "Coach Krzyzewski putting legacy at risk". ESPN.com. http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&page=coachk-090721. Retrieved 2010-09-15. 
27. ^ ^{a b} Sheridan, Chris. "'08 Olympians to skip basketball worlds". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5372600. Retrieved 2010-09-15. 
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29. ^ "Colangelo Plans Gathering of 2008 and 2010 Team USA Gold Medalists". NBA Fanhouse. 2010-11-05. http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/05/colangelo-plans-gathering-of-2008-and-2010-team-usa-gold-medalis/. Retrieved 2010-11-05. 

25. "NBA's Greatest Moments: The Original Dream Team".nba.com. Retrieved 2010-09-15.

External links

• Official Site