Basketball has been a constant feature in the Summer Olympics programme since it’s inclusion in 1936 at Berlin. The first 7 editions saw the United States Men’s team emerge as champions, before the Soviet Union ended their streak in 1972 after a controversial final.
Undoubtedly, the United States have been the most successful team in Basketball having won a remarkable 14 of 17 editions they have participated in, with the Soviet Union (1972 & 1988), Yugoslavia (1980) and Argentina (2004) the only other countries to have won the gold medal in the sport.
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The last two Olympics have seen the United States emerge winners over Spain, who will feel hard done to have not won a single gold medal yet. Their dominance does speak of their superiority, but there have been a number of special teams over the years as well.
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Here, we take a look at the 5 greatest teams ever:
5) Spain - 2008, 2012
Spain must wonder what they must do to bring home a gold medal after having finished as runners-up in the Olympics at Beijing and London. Twice beaten by the United States in the final, the golden generation of Spanish Basketball will be hoping it’s third time lucky in Rio.
A total of 10 players from across the two teams in 2008 and 2012 have played in the NBA with brothers Pau and Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Ricky Rubio and Jose Caledron the most notable.
It is a team that achieved its ultimate success in 2006 when they won the FIBA World Championship. They are currently ranked second in the world, only behind the United States.
4) Yugoslavia - 1988
Despite having lost in the final in 1988, the Yugoslavian national team boasted of one of the most talented bunch of players the basketball world has ever seen. The team comprised of a number of stars including Drazen Petrovic, Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc and Dino Radja, all of whom grew up together and the team were known for their fluid style of play.
It was a team that went onto achieve a number of great things in the next couple of years, winning the FIBA EuroBasket the very next year in 1989 and emerging champions in the FIBA World Championship in 1990.
In 1992, a fraction of the players from the Yugoslavian national team represented Croatia on their road to the final, where they lost to the United States.
3) Soviet Union - 1988
The Soviet Union won their second gold medal in 1988 at Seoul after earlier winning gold in 1972 as well. It was to be a medal to remember as the entire complexion of the game was to change after the 1988 Olympics.
The Soviet Union disintegrated before the next Olympics in 1992 and this was the very last time that NBA players weren’t allowed to participate in the event. They beat a very talented Yugoslavian squad 76 - 63 in the final after having lost to them earlier in the tournament.
The squad had a number of great players including Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis and Rimas Kurtinatis.
2) Argentina - 2004
Argentina remain the only team to have beaten the United States to the gold medal since NBA players were allowed to participate in the event. This was a side that captured a number of hearts with their play, starting from the very first encounter against Serbia and Montenegro where Manu Ginobili scored a stunning buzzer-beater that went on to be immortalised in basketball history.
They were beaten by Italy in a nail-biting affair in the group stages, where they lost 75 - 76 before they exacted full revenge on their opponents by trouncing them 84 - 69 in the final. They also overcame a talented United States side in the semifinals where Ginobili starred and scored 29 points.
The Argentinan team were deserved winners and boasted of a talented team including six players that played in the NBA - Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni, Fabricio Oberto, Walter Herrmann and Carlos Delfino.
1) United States of America - 1992 (The dream team)
Until 1989, FIBA rules prevented NBA players from participating in the Olympics, with the emphasis on amateur players largely. This was to change before the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where the United States had their best display yet.
Their team was packed with absolute rockstars, a single look at the roster and you would see household names including Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler and Patrick Ewing. Christian Laetnner was the only amateur on the squad, having been picked over emerging star Shaquille O’Neal.
Such was their dominance that coach Chuck Daly did not call for one timeout through the course of the Olympics, some games even saw opposing players asking for autographs of the US team’s stars, clearly in awe of their star power.
They proved to be a phenomenon on and off the court, with their all-star line up delighting the fans as they went on to lift the gold medal with an average of a 44 point win margin over the course of the event. The team beat a talented Croatian side by 32 points in the final.
Astonishing.
