The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as Team USA and the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. It is the most successful men's team in international competition, winning medals in all twenty Olympic tournaments it has entered, including seventeen golds. In the professional era, the team has won the Olympic gold medal in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. Three of its gold medal-winning teams have been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: the 1960 team, which featured six Hall of Famers (4 players, 2 coaches); the 1992 "Dream Team", featuring 14 Hall of Famers (11 players, 3 coaches), both inducted in August 2010; and the 2008 "Redeem Team", featuring 9 Hall of Famers (6 players, 3 coaches), which was inducted in September 2022. The team is currently ranked first in the FIBA World Rankings.
Traditionally composed of amateur players, the US dominated the first decades of international basketball, winning a record seven consecutive Olympic gold medals. However, by the end of the 1980s, American amateurs faced increasing difficulty against seasoned professionals from the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.
In 1989, FIBA modified its rules and allowed USA Basketball to field teams with National Basketball Association players. The first such team, known as the "Dream Team", won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, being superior in all matches. With the introduction of NBA players, the team was able to spark a second run of dominance in the 1990s.
Facing increased competition, the US failed to win a medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, finishing sixth. The 2004 Olympic team, being depleted by a number of withdrawals, 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 US 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 team won gold two years later—at the 2008 Summer Olympics—in a dominant fashion. 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 US did not lose a single game en route to defeating host Turkey for the gold medal.
The Americans continued this streak of dominance in the 2010s by going undefeated and capturing gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 FIBA World Cup. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, the team, led by Mike Krzyzewski for a record third time, won its 15th gold medal, making him the most decorated coach in USA Basketball history. After Krzyzewski stepped down in 2016, Team USA lost to France in the quarter-finals of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, finishing seventh overall. However, Team USA would avenge this loss in the 2020 Summer Olympics, defeating France 87–82 in the final to capture the team's fourth straight gold medal and 16th overall. The team repeated as champions in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, once again defeating France 98–87 in the final.
Contents
History
1936–1968
The United States joined FIBA at the end of 1934 under the supervision of the Amateur Athletic Union. 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 was 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 US roster until the formation of the 1992 Dream Team.
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 of the University of Kansas, a future Hall of Famer and NBA star. Kurland once again led the team to victory.
The 1956 team was led by San Francisco Dons teammates Bill Russell and K. C. Jones, and defeated its opponents by an unsurpassed average margin of 53.5 points per game.
The 1960 team included nine future NBA players, including four consecutive NBA Rookie(s) of the Year; Robertson (1961 NBA Rookie of the Year), Lucas (1964 NBA Rookie of the Year), Terry Dischinger (1963 NBA Rookie of the Year), and Walt Bellamy (1962 NBA Rookie of the Year) but also Hall of Famer Jerry West and NBA All-Star(s), Darrall Imhoff (1967 NBA All Star), Bob Boozer (1968 NBA All Star), Adrian Smith (1966 NBA All Star game MVP) and Jay Arnette. They defeated their opponents by an average margin of 42.4 points per game.
1972–1988
The 1972 Olympic men's basketball gold medal game, marking the first ever loss for the US in Olympic play, ranks among the most controversial events 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, holding a 6–0 advantage over the Soviets in Olympic play.
With three seconds left in the gold medal game, American forward Doug Collins sank two free throws after being hit hard by a Soviet player to put the Americans up 50–49. Immediately following Collins' free throws, the Soviets inbounded the ball and failed to score. Soviet coaches claimed 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. The horn sounded as a length-of-the-court Soviet pass was being released from the inbounding player, the pass missed its mark, and the American players began celebrating.
Nevertheless, the final three seconds were replayed for a third time. This time, the Soviets' Alexander Belov and the US's Kevin Joyce and Jim Forbes went up for the pass, and Belov caught the long pass from Ivan Edeshko near the American basket. Belov then laid the ball in for the winning points as the buzzer sounded. The US 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. It remains to this day a possibility that game officials were bribed by the Communist party.
After the controversial loss in Munich, 1976 saw Dean Smith coach the US to a 7–0 record and its eighth Olympic gold medal in Montreal. The success at this tournament pushed the US's all-time Olympic record to an impressive 78–1.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan prompted the United States and 66 other countries to boycott the 1980 Olympics, held in Moscow. The 1980 US team, which featured a number of future NBA players, was the youngest American national team ever assembled. This team featured: Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Sam Bowie, Michael Brooks, Bill Hanzlik, Alton Lister, Rodney McCray, Isiah Thomas, Darnell Valentine, Danny Vranes, Buck Williams and Al Wood. 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 US cities, recording a 5–1 record. It was coached by Dave Gavitt.
1992–2000
The decade started with a semifinal loss to Yugoslavia in the 1990 FIBA World Championship, followed by another semifinal defeat to Puerto Rico in the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana. The 1990 championship marked the last time that the US was represented by college players at a major international tournament (World Championship & Olympics).
The decades-long use of "shamateurs" by the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and other international teams prompted FIBA to modify its rules and allow NBA players in the 1992 Olympics and beyond. 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.
Because of this star line-up, the team's games usually featured opposing teams asking for pregame photos and autographs with their US opponents. As expected, the US team ran away with the gold medal; they were so much better than the competition that head coach Chuck Daly did not call a single timeout during the tournament. The 1992 Dream Team won by an average of 43.8 points (second most, behind the 1956 US team). The only time the US was remotely threatened was against Croatia, which was beaten by 32. 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 spokesman 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."
The United States fielded another team composed of NBA 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. Those players were Derrick Coleman, Joe Dumars, Kevin Johnson, Larry Johnson, Shawn Kemp, Dan Majerle, Reggie Miller, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, Mark Price, Steve Smith and Dominique Wilkins. Coached by Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors, this team easily captured the gold medal in tournament play. The team was referred to as the "Dream Team II".
2001–2004
As the United States had already qualified for the 2002 World Championship as the host country, USA Basketball decided to field players from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for the Tournament of the Americas in August 2001. Coached by Dan Sparks, the team finished last, losing all four games. Marcus Banks led the team in scoring, averaging 18.0 points.
The 2002 team competed in the World Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Coached by George Karl, the team finished a surprisingly disappointing sixth in the competition. During the tournament, Argentina defeated the US in the second preliminary round group stage, thus becoming the first team ever to defeat a US team composed of NBA players. Yugoslavia knocked out the US in the quarterfinals, becoming the first team ever to defeat US team of NBA players in knockout stage. Then Spain repeated the outcome in the 5th place playoff. 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 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.
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, dubbed as the Dream Team IV, 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 new team consisted of some young NBA stars early in their careers, such as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Only Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson were part of the 2003 FIBA Americas San Juan gold medal team. The team was coached by Larry Brown.
2006–2016
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 in the semifinal, losing the game 101–95. 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 US World Championship Team.
The United States Team, dubbed Dream Team V or the Redeem Team, 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 US earned the right to play the fourth-place finishers in Group A, Australia. The United States soundly defeated Australia 116–85 in the quarterfinal. 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 US defeated Argentina 101–81 to reach the gold medal game.
On August 24, the United States defeated Spain 118–107 to capture the Olympic gold medal with the electrifying spark by Team USA leading scorer Dwyane Wade adding 27 points with four 3-point shots and 100% shooting inside the line. The victory ended an eight-year drought at major international competitions (Olympics & World Championships) with the first win since 2000.
Due to winning gold at the 2008 Olympics, the US automatically qualified for the World Championships. The US 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. However, by early July 2010, all ten invited players declined to participate, due to injury, free agency, rest, or personal commitments. 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 and inexperienced players, and not enough tall players.
2017–present
In 2017, the United States would win a record 7th championship in the FIBA AmeriCup. In 2019, the team struggled and finished in 7th place at the FIBA World Cup. Despite featuring primarily young NBA players, the result was a huge shock and disappointment. At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the United States reclaimed their glory by winning the fourth consecutive gold medal. Led by top scorers Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, and Devin Booker, the team was able to dominate the tournament and defeat France 87–82 in the final, despite losing to them early on in the group stage.
Team USA played two exhibition games in Abu Dhabi in the run-up to the 2023 FIBA World Cup. It was the first time that the men's national team played in the United Arab Emirates. The team was coached by nine-time NBA champion Steve Kerr, who won five titles as a player (three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the San Antonio Spurs) and four as head coach (with the Golden State Warriors). They ultimately finished fourth at the World Cup, behind Germany, Serbia, and Canada.
After 2023's fourth-place result at the FIBA World Cup, Grant Hill and Steve Kerr set out to convince more experienced players to play in the 2024 Summer Olympics. This included Lebron James, who had missed the last two Olympics; Stephen Curry, who had never played in the Olympics; and Kevin Durant. Returning Olympians would be Bam Adebayo, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, and Jayson Tatum, while returning FIBA players included Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton. The team, dubbed "The LeVengers" by the media, would be the oldest U.S. men's basketball team, averaging 30 years and 9 months. Although six-time all-star Kawhi Leonard was initially drafted onto the roster, he was replaced by Derrick White due to injury. Team USA would play five exhibition games before the Olympics; although they convincingly beat Canada and Serbia, they were forced into a close game by Australia, who nearly overcame a 25-point deficit, and were at risk of losing to both South Sudan and world champions Germany. Durant would not play all five exhibition games due to a strained calf. During preliminary rounds of Olympic play, Team USA would go undefeated against Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico, earning the No. 1 seed entering the quarter-finals. Once in the quarterfinals, the U.S. convincingly defeated Brazil 122–87, with Booker leading the Americans with a team-high 18 points, before moving onto a second rematch vs Serbia in the semifinals. Here, Team USA won 95–91 after overcoming a 17-point deficit, with Curry scoring 36 points. In the final, the Americans faced hosts France for the second straight Olympics, with Curry scoring 24 points to lead the team to a 98–87 win. This win was Team USA's fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in men's basketball.
Honors
Olympic Games
Gold medalists (17): 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024
Silver medalists: 1972
Bronze medalists: 1988, 2004
FIBA World Cup
Champions: 1954, 1986, 1994, 2010, 2014
Runners-up: 1950, 1959, 1982
Third place: 1974, 1990, 1998, 2006
FIBA AmeriCup
Champions: 1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2017
Runners-up: 1989
Third place: 2022, 2025
Other awards
Pan American Games
Gold medalists: 1951, 1955, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1975, 1979, 1983
Silver medalists:: 1987, 1995, 1999
Bronze medalists: 1991, 2011, 2015, 2019
Goodwill Games
Gold medalists: 1986, 1998, 2001
Silver medalists: 1990
Bronze medalists: 1994
World University Games
Gold medalists: 1965, 1967, 1973, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2015, 2019
Silver medalists: 1970, 1985, 1987, 2017, 2025
Bronze medalists: 1983, 2001, 2009, 2021
Competitive record
Olympic Games
The US team has achieved unparalleled success in the Olympic games. While historically at a disadvantage to the Eastern Bloc countries that had used their best and most experienced professional players listed as soldiers or workers in a profession to subvert the amateur rules, the US team (typically composed of AAU or collegiate players) did surprisingly well, winning nine out of eleven Olympic tournaments they had entered before the introduction of NBA players. The US is the only Western country that achieved success in a team sport during the Eastern Bloc dominance. Canada's results in ice hockey and Western European teams' results in soccer significantly deteriorated after the introduction of the Eastern Bloc countries and their quasi-professional players in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1992, the US team was represented by the NBA players for the first time and defeated its opponents by an average of 44 points en route to the gold medal against Croatia. The Americans have continued to dominate the Olympic tournaments ever since, excluding underachieving performance at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
World Cup
Prior to the introduction of the NBA players, the United States was usually represented by military, industrial or collegiate players. European and South American countries, meanwhile, were allowed to use their best players. In 1950 and 1954, AAU teams Denver Chevrolets (in 1950) and Peoria Caterpillars (1954) were the US representatives; in 1959, the United States sent an Air Force team; in 1963 and 1967, the team was composed of AAU, armed forces and college ranks; in 1970 and 1974 (with the 1974 team being the youngest and least experienced team in history), the US fielded exclusively collegians; in 1978, an Athletes In Action (AIA) team was the American representative; in 1982, 1986, and 1990, the team was again made up of collegiate players. Starting with 1994 and with the exception of 1998, when the US used players from the European leagues and college players, the team was made up of NBA players.
AmeriCup
Prior to the implementation of a new FIBA competition system in 2017, the US team used different players depending on the circumstances. In 1992, 1999, 2003 and 2007, the Americans sent in NBA players as they needed to qualify for the Olympics. In 1989 and 2005, the US also used the tournament for qualification purposes but sent in either college players (in 1989 NBA players were not allowed) or NBA Development League, CBA and European leagues players (in 2005, the US team did not need to win gold in order to qualify for the World Championship). In 1993, 1997 and 2001, the US team entered the tournament without any specific purpose and was represented by CBA players in 1993 and 1997, and by junior players in 2001. In 1980, 1984, 1988, 1995, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015, the American team did not enter the tournament. In 2017, the US participated for the first time in ten years with a squad of NBA G League players and American professionals playing in European leagues, winning the gold medal.
Head-to-head competitive record
The following tables summarizes the all-time competitive record for the United States men's national basketball team, broken down by confederation. Competitive results are inclusive of games in the Olympic Games, FIBA Basketball World Cup, FIBA AmeriCup, and qualifying campaigns for these competitions. This record excludes the results of international friendlies or exhibitions, along with minor tournaments such as the Pan American Games, World University Games, and Goodwill Games. The United States has played competitive games against 57 current and former national teams, with the latest result, a win, coming against France on August 10, 2024, in the 2024 Olympics. The last competitive was a 2025 FIBA AmeriCup qualification matchup against Bahamas on February 23, 2025.
Through Bahamas vs United States on February 23, 2025
Team
Current roster
Roster for the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup.
Medal leaders
Until 1992, there were few players who got the opportunity to compete in multiple Olympics. Unlike their seasoned and veteran counterparts from Europe, US players usually participated in a single Olympics (with Bob Kurland, Bill Hougland, and Burdette Haldorson being lone exceptions) and after winning a medal turned pro. Consequently, prior to 1992, US teams were assembled from scratch every four years. After the introduction of NBA players, US teams became more cohesive, and players often chose to compete in more than one Olympic tournament.