Has the USA Men's Basketball team ever lost in the Olympics? Closer look at all-time records and more

Throughout the history of the Olympics, the USA Men's Basketball team has been head and shoulders above the competition. However, there have been numerous occasions where they've come up short.

There have been countless occasions where Team USA has posted an undefeated record and secured a gold medal. That said, their record is far from perfect.

Since the 1936 games, the USA Men's Basketball team has played in 149 games. In this stretch, they have a record of 143-6.

Their first official loss came in 1972 after suffering a 51-50 defeat at the hands of the Soviet Union in the gold medal game. Among the most notable names on the roster was former No. 1 pick and longtime NBA head coach Doug Collins.

16 years later in 1988, Team USA suffered their second loss in Olympics history. They were once again bested by the Soviet Union. This team was led by San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson and Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond.

2004 was the worst Olympics for the United States men's team, as they suffered three losses that year. Team USA was upset by Puerto Rico, Lithuania and Argentina.

The most recent occasion where Team USA was handed a loss in the Olympics was the 2020 games. They opened their group phase with a 90-87 loss at the hands of Nigeria.

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How many times has the USA Men's Basketball team not won a gold medal?

It's been rare, but the USA Men's Basketball team has walked out of the Olympics without a gold medal. Here are the few occasions where other countries have managed to overcome them.

As mentioned before, Team USA lost to the Soviet Union in 1972. With this defeat, they ended up going home with a silver medal. It was the first time Team USA didn't win gold, ending a streak of seven straight Olympics finishing on top.

In 1988, the USA Men's Basketball team had their worst finish in history at the time. Despite only losing one game in the tournament, they ended up finishing in third place and getting a bronze medal.

With three losses during the 2004 games, Team USA once again took home bronze. To this day, there has never been an Olympics where the United States men's team didn't win a medal.

This summer, Team USA will look to keep their gold medal streak alive. If they're able to finish on top, it will extend their streak to five straight Olympics.

Looking at the roster, the USA men's team has a good chance to land another gold medal. They've managed to put together a star-studded roster that includes multiple NBA stars. Among those suiting up in Paris are Steph Curry, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant and LeBron James.