United States men's national basketball team

"United States national basketball team" redirects here. For the women's team, see United States women's national basketball team.
"Team USA Basketball" redirects here. For the video game, see Team USA Basketball (video game).
United States
2014 United States FIBA Basketball World Cup team
FIBA ranking 1 Steady
Joined FIBA 1934
FIBA zone FIBA Americas
National federation USA Basketball
Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Nickname(s) Team USA, Dream Team
Olympic Games
Appearances 17
Medals Gold: 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012
Silver: 1972
Bronze: 1988, 2004
FIBA World Cup
Appearances 17
Medals Gold: 1954, 1986, 1994, 2010, 2014
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 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team,[1] commonly known as 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 seventeen Olympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with fourteen 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 (4 players, 2 coaches), and the 1992 "Dream Team", featuring 14 Hall of Famers (11 players, 3 coaches).[2] The United States is currently ranked 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, being superior in all matches.[3][4][5]

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, 2008, and 2012 the USA again captured gold medals at the Olympics.

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. The USA continued this streak of dominance by going undefeated and capturing gold once more at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

History

1936–68: Early dominance

The United States possessed a clear advantage in the early decades of international play (though they were defeated by Argentina in the First FIBA World Championships in 1950). 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.[6]

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, 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 nine future NBA players, including not just Robertson, Lucas and West, but Bob Boozer, Adrian Smith [1966 All Star game MVP], Jay Arnette Terry Dischinger, Rookie of the Year in 1963, and another Hall of Famer in Walt Bellamy.[7]

1970s–1980s

1972 Controversy at Munich 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.[8]

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 near the American basket, sending the two Americans sprawling. Belov then laid the ball in for the winning points as the buzzer sounded. Herbert Mols, Resident Manager of the US team with help from MK Summers, President of the US Olympic Basketball Committee, filed an extensive and detailed appeal, protesting the final game result to a five-man Jury of Appeal, which voted down the protest and awarded the gold medals to the Soviet team. 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]

1976–80: Bounce back and boycott

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. 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.[11] 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] It was coached by Dave Gavitt.

1984 Olympics (Los Angeles)

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 boycotted 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)

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. This was the last time the American Team consisted of only amateur college stars.

1990s

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 La Habana.

1992 Olympics (Barcelona) – The Dream 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—their idols. 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 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."[15]

1994 FIBA World Championship (Toronto) Dream Team II

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. Those players were Derick 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.[16] The team was marketed as "Dream Team II".[17][18]

1996 Olympics (Atlanta) – Dream Team III

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

The team was commonly referred to and marketed as "Dream Team III".[20][21]

1998 FIBA World Championship (Athens) – The Dirty Dozen

The 1998 World Championship in Athens, Greece was different from the previous teams, as none of its players were current members of NBA teams. Because of a labor dispute that led to a lockout, no active NBA players were permitted to compete in the tournament. The 12 NBA players picked before the lockout were 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.[22]

The replacement team was composed largely of players from American colleges, the minor-league Continental Basketball Association, or European pro leagues. The unheralded roster captured a bronze medal, considered a solid achievement given its lack of top-notch talent.[23] The team was nicknamed the "Dirty Dozen" for its work ethic and teamwork. Undrafted free agent Brad Miller became a two-time NBA All-Star. Some of the other team members—including Trajan Langdon, Kiwane Garris, David Wood 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.

2000s

2000 Olympics (Sydney)

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 the 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 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 shock came in the semifinals when the United States defeated Lithuania by the close score of 85–83. Lithuanian star (and future NBA player, first with the Indiana Pacers and later with the Golden State Warriors) Šarūnas Jasikevičius missed a desperation 3 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 p.m. 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 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.[24]

2002 FIBA World Championship (Indianapolis)

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. Yugoslavia knocked out the USA in the quarterfinals, becoming the first team ever to defeat USA team of NBA players in knockout stage. Then Spain repeated the outcome in the 5th place playoff.[25] 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 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 Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, 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 semifinal 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.[26] 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.

2006–08

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 semifinal. 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

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.[27]

On August 24, the United States defeated Spain 118–107 to capture the Olympic gold medal with the electrifying spark by Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade adding 27 points with 4 3's 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.

2010s

2010 FIBA World Championship (Istanbul) – The B Team

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.[28] However, by early July 2010, all ten invited players declined to participate, due to injury, free agency, rest, or personal commitments.[29] Due to the roster being filled with 12 new players and the lack of star power, the team was dubbed the "B Team".[30] Also, the coaches were criticized for selecting too many guards, inexperienced players, and the lack of tall players.

However, the team won all five of its preliminary games, four 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 and 15. In the 2010 FIBA World Championship Final, the USA beat host nation Turkey by 17 points and clinched a berth in the 2012 Olympics.[31] Tournament MVP Kevin Durant broke several Team USA scoring records (most points in a tournament-205, most points in a single game-38, and average points per game-22.8). In addition, Lamar Odom 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 2010 team to play in future tournaments.[29]

2012 Olympics (London)

The 2012 team practicing in Washington D.C.

The US team clinched a berth in the 2012 Olympics in London by winning the 2010 World Championship. The Olympic team lost some players to injuries who might have made the team, and appeared to be short on big men. Their roster featured five players returning from the 2008 Olympic team and five others from the 2010 World Championship team.

The US went undefeated but appeared vulnerable at times in winning five exhibition games. They finished the tournament with a perfect 8–0 record, defeating opponents by an average of 32 points while trailing in the fourth quarter only once. The Americans often played with a small lineup that emphasized speed, quickness, and outside shooting. The team set an Olympic single-game record with 156 points scored against Nigeria in the preliminary round. In a rematch of the 2008 finals, Team USA again narrowly defeated Spain to capture the gold.

This was announced as the final Olympic games for Kobe Bryant.[32] By winning the gold medal, the USA automatically qualified for the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

2014 FIBA World Cup (Spain)

The United States had automatically qualified for the World Cup by virtue of the gold medal won by their 2012 Olympic team. The Americans were widely expected to win the World Cup. The roster was filled with two players returning from the 2012 Olympic team, three from the 2010 FIBA Championship Team, and seven other professional NBA players.The 2014 roster featured four players 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) or larger, the most of any USA team since Mike Krzyzewski began coaching the team in 2006.The team was also the youngest American team since 1992, when professionals were first allowed on the team; the average player was 24.08 years old, roughly a half-year younger than their 2010 team.

The team advanced to the knockout phase after starting the tournament 5–0 during the group stage. They went undefeated 9–0 in the tournament, winning by an average margin of 33.0 points. The United States was just the third country in World Cup history to repeat as champions. Combined with their 2010 World Championship along with gold by their 2008 and 2012 Olympic teams, they also became the first country in FIBA basketball history to win four consecutive major titles. The United States defeated Serbia in the World Cup Final by 37 points and clinched a berth for the 2016 Summer Olympics

Roster

United States men's national basketball team - 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Age - DOB Ht. Club
G 4 Curry, Stephen 26 – 14 March 1988 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Golden State Warriors United States
G 5 Thompson, Klay 24 – 8 February 1990 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) Golden State Warriors United States
G 6 Rose, Derrick 25 – 4 October 1988 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Chicago Bulls United States
F 7 Faried, Kenneth 24 – 19 November 1989 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) Denver Nuggets United States
F 8 Gay, Rudy 28 – 17 August 1986 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) Sacramento Kings United States
F 9 DeRozan, DeMar 25 – 7 August 1989 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) Toronto Raptors Canada
G 10 Irving, Kyrie 22 – 23 March 1992 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Cleveland Cavaliers United States
C 11 Plumlee, Mason 24 – 5 March 1990 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) Brooklyn Nets United States
C 12 Cousins, DeMarcus 24 – 13 August 1990 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) Sacramento Kings United States
G 13 Harden, James 25 – 26 August 1989 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Houston Rockets United States
C 14 Davis, Anthony 21 – 11 March 1993 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) New Orleans Pelicans United States
C 15 Drummond, Andre 20 – 10 September 1993 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) Detroit Pistons United States
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Athletic Trainer
  • Gregg Farnam
  • Joe Sharpe
Managing director

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Club – describes last
    club before the tournament
  • Age – describes age
    on 30 August 2014

Competitive record

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

Olympic Games

Year Round Position Pld W L
Germany 1936 Champions 1st 5 5 0
United Kingdom 1948 Champions 1st 8 8 0
Finland 1952 Champions 1st 8 8 0
Australia 1956 Champions 1st 8 8 0
Italy 1960 Champions 1st 8 8 0
Japan 1964 Champions 1st 9 9 0
Mexico 1968 Champions 1st 9 9 0
West Germany 1972 Runners-up 2nd 9 8 1
Canada 1976 Champions 1st 7 7 0
Soviet Union 1980 1980 Summer Olympics boycott
United States 1984 Champions 1st 8 8 0
Korea 1988 Third place 3rd 8 7 1
Spain 1992 Champions 1st 8 8 0
United States 1996 Champions 1st 8 8 0
Australia 2000 Champions 1st 8 8 0
Greece 2004 Third place 3rd 8 5 3
China 2008 Champions 1st 8 8 0
United Kingdom 2012 Champions 1st 8 8 0
Total14 Titles17/181351305

FIBA World Cup

Year Round Position Pld W L
Argentina 1950Runners-up2nd651
Brazil 1954Champions1st990
Chile 1959Runners-up2nd972
Brazil 1963Semi-finals4th963
Uruguay 1967Semi-finals4th972
Yugoslavia 1970Quarter-finals5th963
Puerto Rico 1974Third place3rd1064
Philippines 1978Quarter-finals5th1064
Colombia 1982Runners-up2nd972
Spain 1986Champions1st1091
Argentina 1990Third place3rd862
Canada 1994Champions1st880
Greece 1998Third place3rd972
United States 2002Quarter-finals6th963
Japan 2006Third place3rd981
Turkey 2010Champions1st990
Spain 2014Champions1st990
Total5 Titles17/1715112427

FIBA Americas Championship

Year Round Position Pld W L
Puerto Rico 1980 Did not participate
Brazil 1984
Uruguay 1988
Mexico 1989 Runner-up 2nd 8 6 1
United States 1992 Champions 1st 6 6 0
Puerto Rico 1993 Champions 1st 7 6 1
Argentina 1995Did not participate
Uruguay 1997 Champions 1st 9 8 1
Puerto Rico 1999 Champions 1st 10 10 0
Argentina 2001 First Round 10th 4 0 4
Puerto Rico 2003 Champions 1st 10 10 0
Dominican Republic 2005 Semi-finals 4th 10 4 6
United States 2007 Champions 1st 10 10 0
Puerto Rico 2009 Did not participate
Argentina 2011
Venezuela 2013
Mexico 2015
Total6 Titles9/16746014

Pan American Games

Year Round Position Pld W L
Argentina 1951 Champions 1st 6 6 0
Mexico 1955 Champions 1st 5 4 1
United States 1959 Champions 1st 6 6 0
Brazil 1963 Champions 1st 6 6 0
Canada 1967 Champions 1st 5 5 0
Colombia 1971 Group stage 7th 3 2 1
Mexico 1975 Champions 1st 9 9 0
Puerto Rico 1979 Champions 1st 9 9 0
Venezuela 1983 Champions 1st 8 8 0
United States 1987 Runners-up 2nd 7 6 1
Cuba 1991 Third place 3rd 7 6 1
Argentina 1995 Runners-up 2nd 7 4 3
Canada 1999 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 1
Dominican Republic 2003 Semi-finals 4th 5 2 3
Brazil 2007 Quarter-Finals 5th 5 3 2
Mexico 2011 Third place 3rd 5 3 2
Canada 2015 TBD
Total8 Titles16/16978215

Coaches

Summer Olympic Games

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
Mike Krzyzewski 2012 London 8 0
Total 130 5 0.963

Pan American Games

Head coach Event Won Lost Result
John Longfellow 1951 Argentina 6 0
Norman Pilgrim 1955 Mexico 4 1
Fred Schaus 1959 America 6 0
Garland F. Pinholster 1963 Brazil 6 0
Hal Fischer 1967 Canada 9 0
Jim Gudger 1971 Columbia 2 1 7th
Marv Harshman 1975 Mexico 9 0
Bob Knight 1979 Puerto Rico 9 0
Jack Hartman 1983 Venezuela 8 0
Denny Crum 1987 America 6 1
Gene Keady 1991 Cuba 6 1
Mike Thibault 1995 Argentina 4 3
Mo McHone 1999 Canada 7 2
Tom Izzo 2003 Dominican Republic 2 3 4th
Jay Wright 2007 Brazil 3 2 5th
Nate Tibbetts 2011 Mexico 3 2
Total 90 16 0.849

Past rosters

Select Team

Players are selected to form the USA Basketball Men’s Select Team to scrimmage against the national team.[33][34] The Dream Team in 1992 lost a scrimmage to a select group of college All-Stars, 62–54.[35] In a televised exhibition against the 1996 national team, The New York Times wrote that the Select Team "was outhustling the National Basketball Association stars, outplaying them and nearly outscoring them."[36] The Select Team led by 17 points at halftime before losing 96–90.[36]

2012 USA Basketball Select Team roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Age – Date of birth Ht. Club Ctr.
C - Blair, DeJuan 23 – April 22, 1989 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Dallas Mavericks United States
C - Cousins, DeMarcus 21 – August 13, 1990 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Sacramento Kings United States
SG - DeRozan, DeMar 22 – August 7, 1989 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Toronto Raptors Canada
PF - Favors, Derrick 20 – July 15, 1991 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) Utah Jazz United States
SF - George, Paul 22 – May 2, 1990 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Indiana Pacers United States
PF - Gibson, Taj 27 – June 24, 1985 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Chicago Bulls United States
SF - Hayward, Gordon 22 – March 23, 1990 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Utah Jazz United States
PG - Holiday, Jrue 22 – June 12, 1990 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) New Orleans Pelicans United States
PG - Irving, Kyrie 20 – March 23, 1992 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Cleveland Cavaliers United States
DNP - Lin, Jeremy 23 – August 23, 1988 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Free Agent
DNP - Stiemsma, Greg 26 – September 26, 1985 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Boston Celtics United States
SF - Thomas, Lance 24 – April 24, 1988 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) New Orleans Pelicans United States
SG - Thompson, Klay 22 – February 8, 1990 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Golden State Warriors United States
PG - Wall, John 21 – September 6, 1990 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Washington Wizards United States
Head coaches

Legend
  • Club denotes pro club as of July 2012
  • DNP denotes the player withdrew from the Selects

Roster

  • Jeremy Lin was forced to withdraw from the Select Team, as he was ineligible to compete due to being a Free Agent, per FIBA eligibility rules.[37] He was replaced by Jrue Holiday.[38]
  • Greg Stiemsma withdrew from the Select Team after undergoing a non-surgical process for Plantar Fasciitis.[39]

See also

References

  1. "USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team All-Time Roster". usabasketball.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.
  2. "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2010" (Press release). Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 2010-04-05. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
  3. The Oakland Press: Sports Columnists: The Dream Team is over and what's left is a nightmare
  4. "PopMatters Sports Feature | The Globalized Association". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  5. Dreaming about the Dream Team • vabulous69's Blog – FOX Sports Blogs
  6. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  7. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  8. Gary Smith (1992-06-15). "Pieces of Silver". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  9. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  10. 11.0 11.1 "USAB: Games of the XXIInd Olympiad - 1980". Usabasketball.com. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  11. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  12. Jet Magazine Jul 13, 1992. Johnson Publishing Company. Retrieved 2010-10-14.
  13. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  14. "1994 World Championship for Men". .fiba.com archive. 1994-08-14. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  15. Araton, Harvey (August 15, 1994). "BASKETBALL; Dream Team Ends Its Sequel Predictably". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
  16. Taylor, Phil (August 22, 1994). "Yes, It Was A Joke". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
  17. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  18. "VIBE Magazine - 1996". vibe.com. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  19. Rhoden, William C. (July 23, 1996). "Sports of The Times;Competitors Without a Competition". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
  20. "NBA Stars Locked Out Of Team USA". cbs.com. 1998-07-07. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  21. "THIRTEENTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – 1998". usabasketball.com. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  22. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  23. "1986 World Championship for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  24. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  25. "2000 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  26. Sheridan, Chris (2009-07-22). "Coach Krzyzewski putting legacy at risk". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  27. 29.0 29.1 Sheridan, Chris. "'08 Olympians to skip basketball worlds". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  28. Thamel, Pete (July 22, 2010). "Not the Redeem Team, but Still Chasing a Dream". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012.
  29. Thamel, Pete (2010-08-12). "Durant Lifts Americans Back to Top at Worlds". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  30. Hoffman, Benjamin (August 12, 2012). "A Close Game, a Statement by James". The New York Times.
  31. "Ten Players Named To USA Basketball Select Team". NBA.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012.
  32. "Johnson, Mack named to USA Select team". USA Today. Associated Press. July 8, 2010. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012.
  33. Deitsch, Richard (June 13, 2012). "Dream Team doc goes behind the scenes of greatest team in history". SI.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012.
  34. 36.0 36.1 Roberts, Selena (July 7, 1996). "Down by 17, the Dream Team Rallies to Avoid Ridicule". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012.
  35. http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/basketball/story/_/id/8124797/jeremy-lin-new-york-knicks-greg-stiemsma-boston-celtics-withdraw-us-select-team
  36. http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-12/sports/32633496_1_usa-basketball-select-sixers-jrue-holiday-olympics
  37. http://archive.usab.com/mens/national/12_select_team_07_02.html

External links

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