James W. Naismith, a teacher at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, invented the sport of basketball in 1891. At the time, Naismith devised 13 rules for the game, out of which 12 were still in play. Furthermore, there used to be an attendant with a ladder to bring the ball after making a hoop, and peach baskets were used then.
Basketball debuted as a medal sport at the 1936 Summer Olympics, while women's basketball was included 40 years later, in 1976. The United States dominated the Olympics until 1972 when they were defeated by the Soviet Union. Though the match was highly controversial, it brought USA’s winning streak to an end.
The Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) was established in June 1932 in Geneva, Switzerland, with the founding members being Italy, Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Argentina, Latvia, Switzerland, Romania, and Greece.
Read More : Olympic new sports
The Year-by-Year List of Olympic Medalists of Team USA in Basketball
Basketball has grown in popularity over the years, and interest in the National Basketball Association (NBA) has spread throughout the globe. As far as the Olympics are concerned, Team USA has a total of 30 medals in the sport, including 25 golds.
The formation of the NBA All-Star team, which was also known as "The Dream Team" by the international press, was made possible at the 1992 Summer Olympics, where they, as expected, completely dominated, winning a gold medal over the men's team.
The year-by-year list of Olympic medalists for Team USA, from 1936, is as follows:
| Year | Event | Name | Medal |
| 1936 | Basketball, Men | Ralph Bishop, Joe Fortenberry, Carl Knowles, Jack Ragland, Carl Shy, Bill Wheatley, Francis Johnson, Sam Balter, Tex Gibbons, Frank Lubin, Art Mollner, Don Piper, Duane Swanson, Willard Schmidt | Gold |
| 1948 | Basketball, Men | Cliff Barker, Don Barksdale, Ralph Beard, Lew Beck, Vince Boryla, Gordon Carpenter, Alex Groza, Wally Jones, Bob Kurland, Ray Lumpp, R. C. Pitts, Jesse Renick, Jack Robinson, Kenny Rollins | Gold |
| 1952 | Basketball, Men | Charlie Hoag, Bill Hougland, Dean Kelley, Bob Kenney, Clyde Lovellette, Marc Freiberger, Wayne Glasgow, Frank McCabe, Dan Pippin, Howie Williams, Ron Bontemps, Bob Kurland, Bill Lienhard, John Keller | Gold |
| 1956 | Basketball, Men | Carl Cain, Bill Hougland, K. C. Jones, Bill Russell, Jim Walsh, Billy Evans, Burdie Haldorson, Ron Tomsic, Dick Boushka, Gib Ford, Bob Jeangerard, Chuck Darling | Gold |
| 1960 | Basketball, Men | Burdie Haldorson, Jay Arnette, Walt Bellamy, Bob Boozer, Terry Dischinger, Darrall Imhoff, Allen Kelley, Les Lane, Jerry Lucas, Oscar Robertson, Adrian Smith, Jerry West | Gold |
| 1964 | Basketball, Men | Jim Barnes, Bill Bradley, Larry Brown, Joe Caldwell, Mel Counts, Dick Davies, Walt Hazzard, Luke Jackson, Pete McCaffrey, Jeff Mullins, Jerry Shipp, George Wilson | Gold |
| 1968 | Basketball, Men | John Clawson, Ken Spain, Jo-Jo White, Mike Barrett, Spencer Haywood, Charlie Scott, Bill Hosket, Cal Fowler, Mike Silliman, Glynn Saulters, Jim King, Don Dee | Gold |
| 1972 | Basketball, Men | Kenny Davis, Doug Collins, Tom Henderson, Mike Bantom, Bobby Jones, Dwight Jones, Jim Forbes, Jim Brewer, Tommy Burleson, Tom McMillen, Kevin Joyce, Ed Ratleff | Silver |
| 1976 | Basketball, Men | Phil Ford, Steve Sheppard, Adrian Dantley, Walter Davis, Quinn Buckner, Ernie Grunfeld, Kenny Carr, Scott May, Tate Armstrong, Tom LaGarde, Phil Hubbard, Mitch Kupchak | Gold |
| 1976 | Basketball, Women | Cindy Brogdon, Sue Rojcewicz, Ann Meyers, Lucy Harris, Nancy Dunkle, Charlotte Lewis, Nancy Lieberman, Gail Marquis, Trish Roberts, Mary Anne O'Connor, Pat Head, Juliene Simpson | Silver |
| 1984 | Basketball, Men | Steve Alford, Leon Wood, Patrick Ewing, Vern Fleming, Alvin Robertson, Michael Jordan, Joe Kleine, Jon Koncak, Wayman Tisdale, Chris Mullin, Sam Perkins, Jeff Turner | Gold |
| 1984 | Basketball, Women | Teresa Edwards, Lea Henry, Lynette Woodard, Anne Donovan, Cathy Boswell, Cheryl Miller, Janice Lawrence, Cindy Noble, Kim Mulkey, Denise Curry, Pamela McGee, Carol Menken-Schaudt | Gold |
| 1988 | Basketball, Men | Mitch Richmond, Charles E. Smith IV, Charles D. Smith, Bimbo Coles, Jeff Grayer, Willie Anderson, Stacey Augmon, Dan Majerle, Danny Manning, J. R. Reid, David Robinson, Hersey Hawkins | Bronze |
| 1988 | Basketball, Women | Teresa Edwards, Kamie Ethridge, Cindy Brown, Anne Donovan, Teresa Weatherspoon, Bridgette Gordon, Vicky Bullett, Andrea Lloyd, Katrina McClain, Jennifer Gillom, Cynthia Cooper, Suzie McConnell | Gold |
| 1992 | Basketball, Men | Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, John Stockton | Gold |
| 1992 | Basketball, Women | Vicky Bullett, Daedra Charles, Cynthia Cooper, Clarissa Davis, Medina Dixon, Teresa Edwards, Tammy Jackson, Carolyn Jones, Katrina McClain, Suzie McConnell, Vickie Orr, Teresa Weatherspoon | Bronze |
| 1996 | Basketball, Men | Penny Hardaway, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Gary Payton, Grant Hill, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Mitch Richmond, Reggie Miller, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal | Gold |
| 1996 | Basketball, Women | Teresa Edwards, Ruthie Bolton, Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Katrina McClain, Dawn Staley, Jennifer Azzi, Carla McGhee, Katy Steding, Rebecca Lobo, Venus Lacy, Nikki McCray | Gold |
| 2000 | Basketball, Men | Allan Houston, Alonzo Mourning, Antonio McDyess, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Steve Smith, Tim Hardaway, Vin Baker, Vince Carter | Gold |
| 2000 | Basketball, Women | Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, Teresa Edwards, Yolanda Griffith, Lisa Leslie, Nikki McCray, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Katie Smith, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, Natalie Williams, Kara Wolters, Chamique Holdsclaw (DNS) | Gold |
| 2004 | Basketball, Men | Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom, Emeka Okafor, Amar'e Stoudemire, Dwyane Wade Jr. | Bronze |
| 2004 | Basketball, Women | Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Yolanda Griffith, Shannon Johnson, Lisa Leslie, Ruth Riley, Katie Smith, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, Diana Taurasi, Tina Thompson | Gold |
| 2008 | Basketball, Men | Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade Jr., Deron Williams | Gold |
| 2008 | Basketball, Women | Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, Sylvia Fowles, Kara Lawson, Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton-Jones, Candace Parker, Cappie Pondexter, Katie Smith, Diana Taurasi, Tina Thompson | Gold |
| 2012 | Basketball, Men | Tyson Chandler, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Andre Iguodala, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Love, James Harden, Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony | Gold |
| 2012 | Basketball, Women | Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Angel McCoughtry, Asjha Jones, Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Diana Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles, Tina Charles, Candace Parker | Gold |
| 2016 | Basketball, Men | Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan, Kyle Lowry, Harrison Barnes, DeMar DeRozan, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, Draymond Green, Carmelo Anthony | Gold |
| 2016 | Basketball, Women | Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Angel McCoughtry, Breanna Stewart, Tamika Catchings, Elena Delle Donne, Diana Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles, Tina Charles, Brittney Griner | Gold |
| 2020 | Basketball, Men | Keldon Johnson, Zach LaVine, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, Khris Middleton, Jerami Grant, Jayson Tatum, JaVale McGee, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, Draymond Green, Devin Booker | Gold |
| 2020 | Basketball, Women | Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Sue Bird, Ariel Atkins, Chelsea Gray, A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Diana Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles, Tina Charles, Brittney Griner | Gold |
Read More : How many times has paris hosted the olympics
FAQ's On Team USA in Basketball
A. The 2024 Paris Olympics have basketball as one of his 32 sports.
A. The 2024 USA men's basketball Olympics team includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo, and Tyrese Haliburton.
A. The NBA and FIBA have different game times; in the former, each quarter lasts 12 minutes, while in the latter, it lasts 10 minutes. NBA and FIBA 3-point lines are 7.24 and 6.75 meters, respectively.
A. Yes, since the 1992 Olympics, NBA players have taken part in the Olympics.
A. Yes, women have been allowed to play basketball, since 1976.
