Star-Spangled superstars: The all-time greatest U.S. men’s Olympic basketball roster

The United States men’s basketball team has been an Olympic powerhouse, especially since professionals were allowed to play starting in 1992. In what was a difficult exercise, we’ve put together the all-time U.S. men’s Olympic roster, consisting of the 12 players that showed out the most during their Olympic careers. All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

There may be no player who was more impactful in expanding the reach of basketball outside of the United States’ borders than Jordan. His brilliance in the 1992 Olympics for The Dream Team helped elevate the sport to the giant that it has become today. Jordan had just won his second title with the Bulls that June, before winning a gold medal later that summer.

“It’s a massacre,” Jordan told Sports Illustrated at the time. “It should never be close. We (the U.S) taught them the game of basketball. Who’s going to beat us? The Japanese? The Chinese? They can’t match up to the athleticism we’re going to have on this team.” Of course, Jordan was right, as he ran circles around, over and through the competition.

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Bryant might have been the most competitive basketball player of all time, as Jerry West once told Basketball Network he admired his relentless spirit. While some American players might have viewed the Olympics as a holiday, Bryant only knew one way to play. Bryant was a part of two gold medal winning teams in 2008 and in 2012.

His presence on the 2008 team helped restore the United States as a basketball powerhouse internationally. The 2004 team left the Athens games with a bronze medal, and heaps of disappointment. As highlighted in the The Redeem Team Netflix documentary, Bryant did whatever it took to ensure that the United States got back on top of the basketball world.

James has a chance to further cement his international basketball legacy with a third gold medal in 2024, but he has already been a prominent part of Olympic basketball history. While he was on the 2004 bronze medal Olympic team as a 19-year-old, James redeemed himself with strong performances in 2008 and 2012.

NBC Sports pointed out that at 39 years old, James will be the oldest player to ever suit up for the American basketball team. USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill asked James to play in the 2024 Paris games after the Los Angeles Lakers star broke the all-time NBA scoring record in 2023. James agreed to represent his country once more at that time.

Durant has a chance to make history at the Paris Olympics. If the United States wins the gold medal, it would be Durant’s fourth, which would give him more than anyone else in American basketball history. He’s been a fixture on the team since 2012, as he’s prioritized being available for the competition throughout his basketball career.

Durant told FIBA’s website back in March that he hopes the United States can crush their opponents. “I want 40-50 point wins,” he said. NBC Sports called him “nothing short of sensational” after his 2020 Olympic performance, so he’ll be looking to put another stamp on his already decorated resume.

Many fans may not realize that Ewing made his mark in the Olympics not just in 1992 with The Dream Team, but back in 1984 as well as a college player representing his country. Future Dream Teamers Chris Mullin and Michael Jordan were also on the 1984 squad, which is an often overlooked part of basketball history.

According to Bleacher Report, Ewing almost didn’t participate in the 1984 Olympics because of a playful altercation with Jordan. The center suffered what he called a twisted neck after wrestling with the future Chicago Bulls star. The two were roommates joking around, but fortunately, Ewing was able to play in every game that Olympics and average 11 points per contest.

It’s difficult to think of U.S. Olympic men’s basketball and not think of Johnson, who had quite the year in 1992. He played in the 1992 NBA All-Star game and won MVP honors, and gave fans additional memories that summer in Barcelona. He served as an inspirational figure to those who battle HIV/AIDS, and other health problems.

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That’s what Johnson told the BBC about his time on The Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics. He elaborated, “Commissioner Stern was allowed to pick 10 of the best basketball players in the world. When I got that call, that I was one of the guys to play, I was screaming and hollering.” In some ways, Johnson is the perfect Olympic player because of his desire to get teammates involved.

Many might not guess that it was Barkley, and not Jordan, Magic Johnson or Patrick Ewing, that was the leading scorer on the 1992 Olympic team. At that time, Barkley was on a fledgling Philadelphia 76ers squad, so this was his opportunity to show the world how elite he was. Barkley also talked trash about their opponents, as Sports Illustrated recounted the time he said “Angola was in trouble.”

Barkley had some critical comments about the 1996 men’s basketball team, as Complex dove deeper into. However, he was also the leading scorer on that team, and shot an astounding 82 percent from the field. His two gold medals at the prime of his career helped quiet the notion that he never won an NBA championship.

Everyone knows that Bird was on his last legs in 1992, as back injuries had sapped him of his ability to be the player he was in the 1980s. With that said, he was afforded an opportunity to be on the big stage one last time, and fans were better off for it. So was Bird himself, who told the Olympics’ website, “I have never experienced anything like it, I can tell you that.”

Deputy NBA commissioner Russ Granik told ESPN in 2012, “He clearly wasn’t anywhere near what his peak had been, but if you were putting together such a historic team, you couldn’t leave him off.” Bird had one final shining moment against Germany, where he led the Americans with 19 points while making three three-pointers.

Kevin Durant might break Anthony’s record for most gold medals by a basketball player in the Olympics, but that won’t take away from the contribution Anthony had on four different U.S. squads. He was on the 2004 team that fell short of expectations, but fit in well on the three gold medal winning teams that followed.

The Ringer wrote in 2016 that “Olympic Carmelo is unguardable”, and the alter ego became a real talking point for many years. Anthony seemed to make quicker decisions on the Olympic team, rather than hold the ball in isolation plays in the NBA. ESPN had a feature in 2019 claiming that Olympic Melo and NBA Melo are different people.

Pippen has often lived in the shadow of Michael Jordan, although it’s difficult to get attention playing next to the person who most consider the greatest of all time. With that said, Pippen had a stellar Olympic career, winning gold in the 1992 and 1996 Games. He took his defensive assignments seriously, especially when it came to one particular player.

Basketball Network chronicled the awkward situation between Pippen and Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause. Pippen believed he deserved more money, and believed Krause gave Croatian forward Toni Kukoc his raise instead. Pippen and Jordan would rachet up the pressure on Kukoc during their games against Croatia in 1992.

Malone’s Olympic career could have been even greater than it was, but he just missed making the 1984 team as a collegian. Basketball Network cites that as one of the main motivators of Malone’s Hall of Famer NBA career. With that said, Malone still won two gold medals in 1992 and 1996.

There weren’t many NBA players who could handle Malone’s strength in the post, and that mismatch was even more pronounced against international players in the 1990s. By that time, the Utah Jazz forward had also developed a reliable jump shot from 15-18 feet, making him virtually unstoppable.

This final spot could have gone to a number of players, but Payton just gets the nod. He was a part of two gold medal winning teams in 1996 and 2000. Like Malone, Payton was on the precipice of making a prior team, but was cut. In 1988, head coach John Thompson didn’t allow him to play due to an irregular heartbeat. Payton would later make up for lost time as a hounding perimeter defender in the international game.

Players like Chris Mullin, Shaquille O’Neal, Draymond Green, and potentially Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker (if the latter two win another gold medal in 2024) deserve honorable mention, along with several others. The 2024 Olympics is Stephen Curry’s first Games, so he was not considered for this exercise.

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