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How many us olympic basketball gold medals
How many us olympic basketball gold medals
History, top teams and all you need to know
Having introduced the sport to the world, it’s no surprise that the USA has produced some of the finest moments in Olympic basketball history, including the Dream Team.
Basketball was invented in the United States of America in 1891. But it didn’t take too long for the sport to become popular. Today, it’s one of the most-watched sports in the world.
Its rise can be traced back to its roots in a gym class in Springfield, Massachusetts, making its way into high school and colleges before evolving into a professional sport it is today. Eventually, it made its way to the sport’s grandest events.
When did basketball start in the Olympics?
Basketball was introduced in the Olympic programme at the 1904 Games in St Louis as a demonstration event. Basketball was first contested as a medal event at the 1936 Olympics. Women’s basketball, meanwhile, made its debut at the Montreal 1976 Games.![]()
3x3 basketball made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.
Who qualifies for Olympic basketball?
A total of 12 teams, each in the men’s and the women’s competition, qualify for the basketball event at the Olympic Games.
While seven teams can gain entry through the FIBA World Cup, four slots are determined through the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament. The last remaining slot is reserved for the hosts.
Which country has won the most Olympic gold medals in basketball?
The United States of America is the most successful team in the history of Olympics basketball.
The USA Olympic men’s basketball team has won the gold medal a record 16 times, which includes an unbeaten streak from 1936 to 1968.
The USA women’s basketball team, meanwhile, has pocketed the gold medal on nine occasions. This includes an unbeaten run that’s still in place and dates back to Atlanta 1996.
USA dominates Olympic basketball
Having invented the sport in the late 1800s, it was no surprise that the USA dominated basketball once it was included as a medal event at the 1936 Olympics.
With the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) playing a key role in spreading the sport to various nations, as many as 21 teams competed for the top honours at the Berlin 1936 Games.
But none could stand in the USA’s way as they romped home to emphatic wins in each of their matches to take home the gold.
The coming years saw the Americans grow stronger as they retained the Olympic title in commanding fashion. With no losses throughout their campaigns, their wins in the gold medal matches were most startling.
The USA basketball team beat France 65-21 in the final of the 1948 Games. The Soviet Union, meanwhile, lost to the Americans in the following four editions -- 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1964 -- with the champions recording dominating wins to retain their crown.
This period also saw the rise of the Soviet Union as a force in the international basketball scene.
The Soviets had made their presence felt at the continental stage by winning the biennial European Basketball Championships 10 times from 1951 to 1971 and the FIBA World Championships in 1972.
And when the 1972 Munich Olympics came around, their sole focus was to capture the only title missing from their cabinet -- an Olympic gold in basketball.
USA gets a shock at Munich Olympics
Coming into the Munich Olympics, the Americans were once again favourites to retain their title. But a look at their build-up suggested otherwise.
They had lost out to the Soviets in the final of the 1970 World University Games and bowed out of the 1971 Pan American Games without a medal.
What really hurt them in this phase was the lack of international experience in the squad. With the Olympic competition being restricted to amateurs, the best hoopsters in America were kept out of the Olympic team -- as they turned pro by joining the NBA -- while the top collegiate talent made up the squad.
Though this worked for the USA in the previous editions, this time the Soviets had found a way to exploit the American limitation by listing their players as soldiers or workers, which allowed them to breach the amateur rules.
This meant while the USA had high school sophomore Doug Collins and the North Carolina State University rookie Tommy Burleson as their best players, the Soviets rode on the brilliance of experienced stars Sergei Belov, Modestas Paulauskas and Alexander Belov.
However, it wasn’t until the gold medal game that the lack of experience came to haunt the USA.
Having come into the gold medal match without losing a game, the final was expected to be a close contest. But the Soviets had a different plan.
The USA lost to the Soviet Union in the final of the 1972 Olympics in Munich. (Getty Images)
The Soviet Union basketball team controlled the proceedings with smart ball play, often using the length of the court to stretch the American defence to score points at will. The Soviets scored first and led by the healthy margin of 26-21 at the half.
“We particularly struggled against the Russians because they were adept at controlling the tempo,” Mike Bantom, a member of the ’72 team, now senior vice president for NBA player development, told the New York Times.
While the Americans mounted a comeback in the second period it wasn’t until the final six minutes that they had their opponents in trouble.
Trailing by eight points, the Americans put pressure and saw the Soviets stumble, helping them reduce the gap to just a point with six seconds left on the clock.
Down to the wire for the gold medal, Doug Collins - the pillar of his team - was not done yet as he made a fine open-court steal and drove towards the paint before being knocked down.
The foul meant the Americans were awarded two free throws to seal the match. While Collins sank them both to put his side ahead, the Soviets called for a time-out.
The game resumed with a second left, and when that went by, the United States players started celebrating. But the drama was not over yet.
Moments later, the FIBA president was seen on court asking for a redo of the final three seconds due to a refereeing error.
This time though, the Soviets ensured that they made the most of the opportunity as Alexander Belov pulled out a buzzer-beater to subject the USA to their first loss at the Olympic stage.
Though the Americans appealed against the final decision, it was turned down as the Soviet Union won their maiden basketball Olympic crown.
The Dream Team
The coming years also saw a number of countries making the most of the loopholes in the amateur player rule to field top talents at the Olympics.
However, this changed in 1992 after FIBA ruled to include professionals for the Barcelona Olympics.
This allowed the USA to select what was later dubbed as the greatest sports team ever assembled.
The team featured the likes of NBA superstars Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone among others.
The Dream Team, coached by Chuck Daly, a two-time NBA champion, had a pre-competition camp in Monaco and then moved into a luxury hotel in Barcelona, where they stayed during the Games.
The Dream Team dominated the Olympic competition, sailing through to win the gold medal. They were the first team to score 100 points in every match at the Games, something that led to their head coach commenting: “It was like Elvis and the Beatles put together.”
However, it’s the legacy that the team left behind that had a lasting impact on the popularity that basketball enjoys today.
Following Barcelona 1992, foreign recruits have been a major draw in the NBA with Yao Ming and Andrea Bargnani being the number one draft picks in (2002) and (2006) respectively. Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki and Giannis Antetokounmpo have won the NBA MVP award since.
Olympic basketball winners: Men's
Men's Olympic basketball: All medallists| Olympics | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|
| Berlin 1936 | USA | Canada | Mexico |
| London 1948 | USA | France | Brazil |
| Helsinki 1952 | USA | Soviet Union | Uruguay |
| Melbourne 1956 | USA | Soviet Union | Uruguay |
| Rome 1960 | USA | Soviet Union | Brazil |
| Tokyo 1964 | USA | Soviet Union | Brazil |
| Mexico 1968 | USA | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| Munich 1972 | Soviet Union | USA | Cuba |
| Montreal 1976 | USA | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| Moscow 1980 | Yugoslavia | Italy | Soviet Union |
| Los Angeles 1984 | USA | Spain | Yugoslavia |
| Seoul 1988 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | USA |
| Barcelona 1992 | USA | Croatia | Lithuania |
| Atlanta 1996 | USA | Yugoslavia | Lithuania |
| Sydney 2000 | USA | France | Lithuania |
| Athens 2004 | Argentina | Italy | USA |
| Beijing 2008 | USA | Spain | Argentina |
| London 2012 | USA | Spain | Russia |
| Rio 2016 | USA | Serbia | Spain |
| Tokyo 2020 | USA | France | Australia |
Women’s basketball at the Olympics
While the men’s game has enjoyed a storied history under the Olympic banner, women’s basketball has a similarly rich vein of tales to tap into.
The USA is the most successful team in women's Olympic basketball with eight titles.
Making its debut at the 1976 Games in Montreal, women’s basketball has been a constant presence at the Olympics ever since.
The Soviet Union was the first to claim the Olympic title in the women’s category by beating the United States in the final at the 1976 Games. While the Soviets retained their crown at their home Games in 1980, the Americans took the gold medals in the following two Games.
In 1992, a Unified Team consisting of the former Soviet Republics beat China for the title.
The Americans, however, returned to regain their crown at Atlanta 1996 and have won the title at every edition since.
Olympic basketball winners: Women's
Women's Olympic basketball: All medallists| Olympics | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|
| Montreal 1976 | Soviet Union | USA | Bulgaria |
| Moscow 1980 | Soviet Union | Bulgaria | Yugoslavia |
| Los Angeles 1984 | USA | South Korea | China |
| Seoul 1988 | USA | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| Barcelona 1992 | Unified Team | China | USA |
| Atlanta 1996 | USA | Brazil | Australia |
| Sydney 2000 | USA | Australia | Brazil |
| Athens 2004 | USA | Australia | Russia |
| Beijing 2008 | USA | Australia | Russia |
| London 2012 | USA | France | Australia |
| Rio 2016 | USA | Spain | Serbia |
| Tokyo 2020 | USA | Japan | France |
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USA Men's Olympic Basketball Gold Medal Wins
How many Olympic Basketball gold medals has the USA won?The U.
S. men's Olympics Basketball team has won 16 gold medals so far. They have made 19 appearances in the Olympics, out of which they have won a medal each appearance. They have won 16 gold medals, one silver, and two bronze medals. Team USA owns a 145-10 overall win-loss record and 56-4 in exhibition games.
What years did the USA Basketball team win gold medals in the Olympics?The USA Basketball team has won 15 gold medals in the Olympics. They won the gold medal for the years 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020.
How many Olympic appearances does the USA Basketball team have?The USA Basketball team has made 19 appearances in the Olympics. They have managed to secure a medal in each of their appearances. Out of 19 appearances, they have won 16 gold (1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1976, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020), one silver (1972) and two bronze medals (1988, 2004).
What team won the last Olympic gold medal in Basketball?Team USA won the gold medal in the last Olympics held in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. In the gold medal match, USA defeated France, 87-82.
Has the USA Olympic Basketball team lost?The USA Olympic Basketball team's first-ever loss since the sport was introduced in the Olympics (1936 Berlin) was in the 1972 Germany Olympics. They lost the final to Soviet Union 51-50 and it is considered one of the most dramatic events in Olympic history. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, USA won the bronze medal in the third place game against Australia, after they lost to Soviet Union 76-82 in the semifinals.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, the USA men’s team lost three games - Puerto Rico 92, USA 73; Lithuania 94, USA 90; and Argentina 89, USA 81. Their loss to Puerto Rico ended their 24-game Olympic winning streak since 1992. They won the bronze medal that year after their 81-89 semifinal loss to Argentina.
They beat Lithuania 104-96 to clinch the bronze medal.
Who are the notable NBA players on the 2021 Olympic Basketball team?The entire USA Olympics Basketball roster comprises NBA players. The 12-member U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team will be spearheaded by three-time Olympian Kevin Durant who plays for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. Some other notable players are - Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), JaVale McGee (Denver Nuggets) and Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks). The team's head coach for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was Spurs legend, Gregg Popovich and the current head coach is Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.
When was the last time the USA lost in Olympic basketball?The last time Team USA lost in Olympic basketball was at the 2004 Athens Olympics where they suffered a loss in three games.
They won the bronze medal that year after winning the third place match against Lithuania, 104-96.
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Team USA Basketball Wins Olympic Gold for the Fourth Time in a Row
7 August 2021, 04:25
XXXII Summer Olympic Games
TOKYO, 7 August. /TASS/. The US men's basketball team defeated France 87-82 in the Tokyo Olympics final.
Teams USA and France competed in Group A. At the group stage, the French won with a score of 83:76. The Russian team did not participate in the tournament.
Team USA won Olympic gold medals for the fourth time in a row (2008, 2012, 2016, 2021). The French team reached the final of the Olympics for the first time since 2000. Then the French won the silver medal, losing in the final to the Americans.
The Americans won their 32nd gold medal and are second in the medal standings.
Also on account of the US team 36 silver and 32 bronze medals. In total, the American team now has 100 medals. The Chinese are in first place (37-27-17), the third - the Japanese (24-11-16), the fourth - the British (18-20-20). Russian athletes are on the fifth line (17-24-22).
| 1 | USA | 39 | | Germany | 10 | 11 | 16 | 37 |
| 10,000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10,000,0002 10000 9000 9000 10000 10000 10000 9000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 9000 10000 9000 10000 10,000,0002 10,000,0002 10000 9000 9000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 9000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 10000 9000 10000 10000 9000 9000 10000 10000 9000 9000 9000 10,000,0002 20,0003 | 40 |
| 11 | Canada | 7,0003 | 6 9000 | 11 | 24 |
| 12 | Brazil | 7,0003 | 6 | | 9000 | New Zealand 7 | 6 | 7 | 20,0003 |
| 14 9000 | Cuba | 7 | 3 | 5 | 15 |
| 9000 15 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 7 20 |
| 16 | South Korea | 6 | 4 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 020 | 20,0003 |
| 17 | Poland | 4 | 5 | 9000 5 9000 | 9000 9000 |
9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| 1 | Kenya | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| | Norway | 9000 4 9000 | 9000 9000 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000 2 9000
| 21 | Jamaica | 4 | 1 | 4 | |
| 22 | Spain | 3 | 8 | | 17 |
| 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 SHVEVITIONA 6 | 0 | 9,0003 |
| 24 | Switzerland | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 |
| 25 | Denmark | 9000 3 | 9000 2 4 | 9000 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 | 26 Croatia | 9000 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 9000 27 9000 27 9000 9000 27 | Iran | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7,0003 |
| 9000 9000 9000 9000 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 5 | |
| 29 | Belgium | 3
1 | 9000 3 9 | 7 |
| 30 | Bulgaria | 3 | 1 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 316 316 9000 316 9000 316 9000 316 9000 9000 9000 316 9000 316 9000 9000 9000 9000 31 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 9000 32 | Uzbekistan | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 33 | Georgia 9000 | 9000 9000 9000 5000 9000 5000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 9000 5000 9000 5000 9000 9000 5000 8 |
| 34 | Taiwan | 2 9,0003 | 4 | 6 9000 | | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 38 | | 9000 2 | 9000 1 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000,0002 0000,0002 0000,0002 0000,0002 0000,0002 0000,0002 0000,0002 0000 ° C | 39 | Israel | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| | Belarus | 1 | 3 | 9000 3 | 7,0003 |
| 46 9000 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 9000, 4 |
| 46 | Venezuela | 1 | 9000 3 | 0 9000 0 9000 0 9000 0 58 | Tunisa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 9000 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 | 1 | 2 |
| 59 | Fiji | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
63
Puerto-riki | 9000 1 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 | 1 |
| 63 | Morocco | 1 | 0 | 0 | 74 | Nigeria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
9000 9000 9000 | 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000. 000 9000 9000. | 0 | 1 | | 77 | Northern Macedonia | 0 9000 | 1 9000 1 9000 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
86 9000
Cote-d'Ivoir | 9000 9000 9000 | 0 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 1
1 |
| 86 | Gana | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9000 1 9000 1 9000 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 86 | Moldova | 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 |
| 86 | Botswana | 0 | 0 | 1
1 |
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XXXII Summer Olympic Games
what to expect and where to watch
On October 1, in Sydney, Australia, not only the world champion among women's teams will be determined, but also the first team that secured participation in the basketball tournament of the 2024 Olympic Games
(Photo © 2022 Getty Images)
In the semi-finals of the 2022 Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney, the US team won a crushing victory over the team of Canada (83:43), and the Chinese basketball players in the last seconds meetings snatched a ticket to the final from the Australian team (61:59).
At Saturday, October 1, , in the finals of the 2022 World Cup, the teams of the USA and China will compete not only for gold medals, but also for the first direct ticket to the Olympic tournament of the 2024 Games in Paris.
In the North American semi-finals, the US team knocked out their opponents literally in the very first segment of the match: 19:2 - in the 5th minute of the game, 25:7 - after the first quarter. Team Canada completely lost the fight on the shield (53:37 on rebounds in favor of the Americans), attacked with a monstrous field goal conversion rate of 22 percent (18 hits out of 73 attempts) and looked absolutely demoralized by the disastrous start of the match. The best part of the US team was 9 in this match2447 Agea Wilson , who scored a "double-double" (15 points + 12 rebounds). Although, with such a plot of the game, she did not need to exert any extra effort, and Wilson spent only a little more than 20 minutes on the court.
The outcome of the second semi-final was decided only in the very end.
Tragic for the Australian team was the error Stephanie Talbot , which she made 53 seconds before the siren, when her team was leading 59:57 and had possession of the ball. Talbot allowed the Chinese Wang Xiu to "rob" herself on the dribble, and then the Chinese basketball players not only equalized, but also took the lead. After accurate free throws performed by the same Wang Xu, three seconds before the siren, the representatives of Asia took the lead - 61:59. Desperate pass under the basket of Australian Easy McBegor in the last attack didn't help her team to move the game into overtime – the throw, made simultaneously with the final siren, turned out to be inaccurate.
As a result, on October 1, the teams of the USA and China will meet in the final match. In a historical retrospective, it is difficult to even compare the achievements of the teams: US basketball players are ten-time world champions (including those who won gold medals in five of the previous six such tournaments) and winners of seven previous Olympics.
The Chinese team has never won the World Cup at all, and the last time they climbed the podium was 28 years ago, having won silver at the World Cup-1994.
At the current tournament, the teams have already met each other at the group stage, and then the US team won a landslide victory - 77:63. It would seem that absolutely all the layouts clearly point to the American team as the unconditional favorite of the upcoming final. However, decisive matches have their own laws, and if the Chinese women manage to keep an approximate balance in the score at least until the middle of the final meeting, then in the conditions of increasing nervous tension as the end of the match approaches, they may have chances. Although the likelihood of such a development of events, objectively speaking, is not too high. Judging by how confidently the US team is going through the current tournament, it can be stated that the current Olympic champions are very close to being the first to secure a ticket to the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
