5 greatest Team USA rosters at Olympics
Throughout the history of the Olympics, Team USA has put together numerous historic rosters. Heading into the 2024 games, another dominant run could be in the works.
After the United States didn't win a medal in the FIBA World Cup, multiple NBA superstars showed a desire to play in the Olympics. The end result is a roster littered with high-level talent from multiple generations.
Headlining Team USA's roster this summer are longtime superstars such as LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. There are also young emerging stars in Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton. Other notable names include former MVP Joel Embiid and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
As this group gets ready to pursue a gold medal, here is a look back at some of the U.S.'s top teams from previous Olympics.
Top Team USA basketball rosters in the history of the Olympics:
5) 1960
Kicking off this list is the 1960 team that secured a gold medal in Italy. This is an interesting group because it was during the stretch where NBA players were barred from playing in the Olympic games.
While current NBA players couldn't suit up, this roster did include a trio of future Hall of Famers. The group was led by Jerry West, Oscar Roberston and Walt Bellamy.
En route to winning gold, Team USA won their games by an average of 42 points in the 1960 Olympics.
4) 2012
Next up is a more modern team from the 2012 Olympics. It featured a couple of players who are also competing in this summer's games, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Other top names included Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and James Harden.
Similar to the 1960 team, the 2012 roster dominated the competition as they went on to win gold. Along with going 8-0, their average margin of victory was 32 points. The most impressive stat of the 2012 team is that they only trailed in the fourth quarter of a game once.
3) 1996
In 1996, Team USA had a tough act to follow. This was the first Olympics following the iconic "Dream Team" run.
Some members from the 1992 squad did play again in the 96 games. However, Michael Jordan was not one of them. He opted not to play in order to give other players a chance to represent the United States.
Among the young players to make the cut on the 1996 team were Shaquille O'Neal, "Penny" Hardaway, and Grant Hill. With a roster loaded with Hall of Fame talent, the United States coasted to another gold medal on American soil.
2) 2008
Aside from the "Dream Team," Team USA's most iconic group was put together in 2008. After winning a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics, this roster was later dubbed the "Redeem Team" on their quest for a gold medal.
The 2008 team featured an array of superstars who were at the peak of their powers. Kobe was the captain in this Olympics and was flanked by LeBron, Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and an aging Jason Kidd.
The Redeem Team made short work of the competition before eventually winning gold. Their biggest victory in the tournament round was 49 points against Germany.
1) 1992
As expected, atop this list of all-time Team USA rosters is the 1992 squad. To this day, it is widely regarded as the greatest basketball team ever assembled.
Led by MJ, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, every member of the roster except one was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Opponents never came close to matching them as they finished the Olympics with an average margin of victory of 44 points.
When it comes to Olympic rosters, there will never be another group put together like the Dream Team.