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Few team sports at the Olympics capture the imagination as much as basketball, with any game involving the USA and their all-star NBA rosters in particular, drawing an enormous amount of interest and attention.
Since basketball was introduced as medal event in 1936, the best Olympic basketball games have delivered a steady stream of iconic moments, with incredible upsets, controversy and showstopping pieces of skill, all of which were dripping in Olympian national pride.
In this rundown, we recount some of the most unforgettable moments and matches from Olympic basketball history.
USA Women vs Brazil – 1996 Atlanta Gold Medal Game
We begin our retrospective dive in 1996, when the USA women’s team simultaneously secured gold while catapulting the WNBA onto the world stage.
Featuring all-timers like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Rebecca Lobo and Dawn Staley, the Americans went undefeated through the tournament, dominating opponents by an average of +45 points per game.
In the final, the USA cruised to an 111-87 victory over Brazil to cap their perfect run to the podium, creating the momentum needed for the professional women’s basketball association to be launched in the USA. The 1996 Olympics ire often referred to as the Summer of the Women” for good reason.
Australia vs Russia – 2012 London (Liz Cambage’s historic dunk game)
Now, we fast forward to 2021 and to London, England, for our next entry. In a premilitary match between Australia and Russia, something extraordinary occurred in a landmark moment for women’s basketball.
Aussie Liz Cambage became the first woman to dunk in Olympic competition, rising like a salmon from the top of the key for a thunderous one-handed slam in her country’s 70-66 triumph.
Cambage’s effort highlighted the growing athleticism in the women’s code, proving again that they could match anything produced by their male counterparts.
USA vs France – 2024 Paris Men’s Gold Medal Game (98-87)
At Paris 2024, the Bercy Arena provided the stage for an incredibly dramatic gold medal face off between hosts France and the USA, who had understandably been priced on the best basketball betting sites as heavy favourites for glory.
The French, with star man Victor Wembanyama (26 points) as the driving force, pushed the star-laden USA team to the very brink, while Guerschon Yabusele’s famous monster dunk over LeBron James cranked up the atmosphere and seemed to swing momentum in Les Bleus’ favour.
However, then Steph Curry took centre stage and with France closing in fast, the Warriors superstar drained four three-pointers in the game’s dying embers, including the “Golden Dagger” that sealed a 98-87 win for the USA.
USA vs France – 2000 Sydney (Vince Carter’s “Dunk of Death” game)
The final score was almost secondary here and instead, the tussle between the USA and France at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney was made famous by a stunning piece of individual athleticism.
This one was all about Vince Carter and his leap remains one of the most replayed highlights in Olympic basketball history.
Carter’s 43-inch vertical burst allowed him to leap over 7-foot-2 marker Frédéric Weis to deliver “Le Dunk de la Mort” or Dunk of Death, in what is considered one of the most jaw-dropping dunks ever seen on the boards.
The then Toronto Raptors regular etched his name into Olympic folklore with his feat. The USA went on to claim another gold in Sydney at France’s expense.
USA vs Spain – 2008 Beijing Gold Medal Game (118-107)
Widely regarded as one of the finest basketball matches ever contested, the 2008 final between US and Spain in Beijing slots easily into our list of Best Olympic basketball games ever.
This was the USA’s star-studded “Redeem Team”, so named after the Americans had “only” placed for bronze medals at the previous games in 2004, against a fine Spanish outfit that featured players like Rudy Fernandez and the Gasol brothers.
The game ebbed and flowed, with scores tight for large swathes, and with the Spaniards trailing by just two points in the final minutes, Kobe Bryant grabbed the game by the scruff.
He scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including clutch threes, while Dwyane Wade and LeBron James joined the party too, as the USA pulled away for a 118-107 victory. This thriller restored American dominance at the Olympics and delivered the redemption that their fans had craved.
Argentina vs USA – 2004 Athens Semifinal (89-81)
We referenced it above, but in 2004, the USA suffered major humiliation on the Olympic stage in Athens when their pursuit of gold in Greece was ended by a determined Argentina.
As always, American confidence was sky high, with talk that a position at the top of the podium was virtually guaranteed, however, this collection of NBA stars fell way short of expectations and suffered three group stage losses before meeting their South American conquerors in the semis.
Led by Manu Ginóbili’s 29-point masterclass, Argentina stunned the world to capitalise on US complacency. They eventually advanced to beat Italy for gold to become the first Latin American Olympic basketball champions since 1936.
The mortifying upset forced USA Basketball to overhaul its approach, paving the way for Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to restore pride four years later. This game also proved the NBA’s best weren’t automatically unbeatable.
USA Dream Team vs Croatia – 1992 Barcelona Gold Medal Game (117-85)
The “Dream Team” of 1992 wasn’t just about delivering gold for the USA in Barcelona, it was much more than that. This was one of the most seminal sporting moments in history and looking back at it, makes it feel all the more surreal.
The USA travelled to Europe that summer with one of the most iconic, legendary squads of NBA ballers ever assembled and among the traveling party were Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen.
Unsurprisingly, nobody could live with that level of talent. In the final itself, it was pure exhibition stuff with no-look passes, sizzling skills, powerful dunks and effortless three-pointers throughout.
To their credit, Croatia kept the scoreline respectable at 117-85, though the USA were always in comfortable control, easing through the gears to record a timeless win.
Soviet Union vs USA – 1972 Munich Gold Medal Game (51-50)
No Olympic basketball game in history is more enveloped in controversy than the 1972 final between political rivals, the Soviet Union and the USA.
The USA arrived in the gold medal game with a flawless 63-0 Olympic record and led the contest 50-49 after Doug Collins sank two free throws with three seconds left. What followed thereafter remains one of sport’s darkest moments, however.
The officials inexplicably reset the clock three times, which ultimately allowed Soviet centre Aleksander Belov to score the winning lay-up after he caught a full-court pass.
The Americans refused their silver medals and have never collected them to this day. The result still stands officially, but the bitterness endures. This single game ended America’s incredible golden streak and called Olympic integrity into question.
