There have been 20 previous editions of the men’s basketball tournament at the Olympics. The United States have won gold a whopping 16 times along with taking silver once and bronze twice, medaling every time they have competed. Such has been their dominance that three of the four golds won by other countries were won by nations that no longer exist!
The four times the U.S. failed to take gold:
- The Soviet Union won gold in 1972, beating the U.S. in highly controversial circumstances in the final, and again in 1988, beating the U.S. in the semifinals who went on to take bronze.
- When the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Yugoslavia won gold.
- Argentina won gold in 2004, beating the U.S. in the semifinals who again went on to take bronze.
The 16 gold medals that the U.S. men’s basketball team have won are the most by any country in any team sport at the Olympics.
GO FURTHER
50 years after Americans refused medals in protest, some are still missing