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When in 1992 olympic dream team used a ridiculous 46-1 first half to turn their opener against Angola into an emphatic statement for the rest of the world to expect from Barcelona, it did more than just confirm the performance of striker Charles Barkley. predicts that Angola is “in trouble”.
It ushered in a whole new era for USA basketball. After decades of pitting the nation’s best collegians against the world’s best, it was time to show everyone how to play Dr. Naismith’s invention. From that point on, NBA stars assembled teams that played in, and mostly won, the biggest tournaments.
But USA Basketball’s dominance didn’t start in ’92, and USA Basketball’s tradition isn’t just about the Dream Team. The country’s hoops governing body has built a legacy of success that has produced some of the game’s best players and most exciting results. The USA first entered the international arena in 1936, when the sport was originally contested in the Olympics, and has been the world leader in the sport ever since. As the nation’s governing body, USA Basketball has been the sport’s north star and played a role in bringing basketball to America and the world. It also gave US fans a chance to experience the game’s best together as part of a vibrant red, white and blue tradition.
In 1974, the United States Amateur Basketball Association (ABAUSA) was formed to bring together all of the country’s various organizations under one governing body. Fifteen years later, the ABAUSA changed its name to USA Basketball, but its mission remained simple. to provide the best support and leadership for US teams to compete and win on the world’s biggest basketball stages while growing the game across the country. To say it succeeded in that mission is a huge understatement.
Led by USA Basketball, the nation’s best players and coaches continue to dominate. The men’s team has won nine of the last 11 Olympic gold medals (the U.S. did not compete in the 1980 Moscow Games) and the last four. It has also won four World Cups in the past three-plus decades, in 1986, 1994, 2010 and 2014, and another in 1954. There have been many titles in tournaments such as the Pan Am Games and other tournaments around the world. As the Paris Olympics approach, the U.S. is heavily favored to defend its gold medal status thanks to a team of 12 NBA All-Stars that includes four MVPs and six NBA champions. It’s another example of the strong relationship between USA Basketball and the country’s greatest players, whose desire to represent their country runs deep and whose talent is overwhelming. Former NBA All-Star and 1996 gold medalist Grant Hill, now the executive director of USA Basketball’s men’s team, picked the team and filled it with versatile standouts.
“The United States is home to some of the best basketball players in the world, and I appreciate the strong interest in being a part of this roster,” Hill said. “These decisions weren’t easy, but it was nice to go through the process and get this result.”
EARLY REGISTRATION
More than 40 years after Naismith invented his game, the International Basketball Federation (originally known as the FIBB) was born in 1932, and plans were made for the sport to be part of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. A field of 22 teams played, but it was really just one team, the United States, who finished the competition 4-0 (there were no medal rounds) to claim the gold.
Six consecutive golds followed for the U.S., which was rarely challenged. The nation’s top colleges and recent graduates took on the world. Competing teams were often made up of much older players, some of whom were paid, although no country would ever admit this. It was not important. From 1936-68, the U.S. went 55-0 in the Olympics, the kind of dominance many expected from the country that invented the sport.
Highlights in that stretch included center Joe Fortenberry, who averaged 14.5 ppg in 1936, forward Clyde Lovellett (13.9 ppg) in ’52, San Francisco big man Bill Russell (14.1 ppg) in 1956, 1960- in Jerry Oscar Robert. Lucas, both averaging 17.0 ppg, and Spencer Haywood, who averaged 16.1 ppg in 1968. led the team to Gold.
Haywood was the first college freshman ever invited to try out for an Olympic team, and the 19-year-old from JC in tiny Trinidad, Colorado proved he belonged. Not only did he score a lot of goals, scoring 21 goals in a gold medal win over Yugoslavia, he also set an Olympic record for field goal percentage (71.9), which still stands.
But Haywood, like many great players who have represented the U.S. internationally, was part of the team. He might have scored even more, but he combined with other standouts to help continue the tradition that has defined USA Basketball; represent the United States.
For decades, the United States had been the dominant force in the basketball world, but trouble awaited. The Soviet Union invested heavily in its sports programs with the goal of promoting communism throughout the world. As Haywood stood on the podium and watched the giant American flag fly over the arena in Mexico City, he could not have known the commotion to come.
BIG CHANGES
The next 20-plus years were a time of great transformation for the nation’s top basketball organization. It all started in 1972, when the United States suffered a crushing 51-50 loss to the USSR in the gold medal game in Munich. The competition was messy and controversial enough to fill an entire Olympiad. The US appeal was rejected and the American players refused to accept their silver medals. It was the first Olympic loss in US history, and it remains a dark chapter.
Two years later, the ABAUSA was formed in response to the decision of the international body (now renamed FIBA) to revoke the recognition of the AAU, which governed the sport in this country. The new organization brought together representatives from all the country’s amateur basketball confederations and began its 50-year run of leading the country’s basketball fortunes.
One of his first successes came at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, when the US got some revenge for the 72 debacle. The Americans posted a 7-0 record and the gold medal. Although the final victory came against Yugoslavia, which upset the USSR in the semi-finals, and not the Soviet Union, it was a great first step on the biggest international stage for America’s new governing body.
With the USA not participating in the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the USSR boycotting the ’84 games in Los Angeles, the two basketball superpowers did not meet again until 1988 in South Korea. The matchup did not take place in the finals, but rather in the semifinals, and the U.S. could not overcome a loaded Soviet team that included future NBA leaders Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis, falling 82-76. Although the Americans won bronze by beating Australia, it was clear that changes needed to be made as the USA used college players against teams with much older and more professional competition.
In April 1989, FIBA made a historic decision to allow countries to use professional players on their international teams. Although the U.S. delegation voted against the change, the 56-13 decision was emphatic and created an opportunity for the U.S. to bring its best players to the world. Dave Gavitt, ABAUSA president at the time, stated that the move was necessary “in this new, global era.” That October, ABAUSA changed its name to USA Basketball.
FIBA took a big step. It was time for the United States to show basketball fans everywhere, from one end of the world to the other, what it means.
STILL DREAMING
Barkley’s pre-Olympic prediction that Angola were “in trouble” could be applied to every opponent the Dream Team faced in 1992. A USA roster of 12 future Basketball Hall of Famers won the gold medal and won eight of its games. combined for 43.8 ppg. A 32-point loss to Croatia in the gold medal game was the closest challenger. Head coach Chuck Daly, who never called a timeout during the Olympics, spoke well afterward.
“You’ll see a professional team again in the Olympics, but I don’t think you’ll see another team like this. This was a great team.”
Dali was right. There have been other teams filled with NBA stars that have brought gold medals to the US. The ’96 version was nearly as dominant, winning its eight games by an average of 31.2 ppg. But the first team, which included some of the greatest players to ever walk the planet (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird) and arguably one of the top five collegiate players of all time (Christian Lettner), remains the ultimate standard.
Yes, there was that hiccup in 2004 when the USA only managed bronze. But in every other Olympic event since the Dream Team’s triumphant march onto the world courts, the United States has struck gold. The 2008 Redeem Team re-established the USA as the best in the world and started a run that American fans hope will continue in Paris this year.
Although the 2021 USA team dropped its first game to France, snapping a 25-game Olympic winning streak, it bounced back to enter a gold medal rematch with its group stage opponent. Thanks to 29 points from Kevin Durant, who averaged 20.7 points in the tournament, the USA avenged its earlier loss and took home its fourth straight gold medal with an 87-82 victory over France.
The hard way showed how USA Basketball helped spread the game across the planet. When Jordan, Magic and Bird formed the Dream Team and crushed all comers in ’92, the sport of basketball was still in its infancy around the world. Over the next 30 years, it flourished remarkably as many different countries boasted the talent to challenge the US. and export it all over the world.
FUTURE:
The USA Olympic Team may be the most visible part of USA Basketball’s profile, but the organization promotes and develops the game at all levels. That means sponsoring youth camps and clinics, coaching academies, regional and national tournaments, and international teams participating in various competitions.
It’s not all about winning. USA Basketball is committed to player development, safety and good sportsmanship. The organization continues to make sure the game thrives at all levels, and while it’s fun to compete against the world on US teams, it’s also important to make sure everyone who plays the game does so in environments that have everything they need to succeed. : and enjoyment of sports.
As the 2024 Men’s National Team prepares for Paris, they take with them all the years of USA Basketball training and development. The world will be watching. And that includes the young athletes on USA Basketball’s development and youth teams who may one day become a part of history.
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Photos via Getty Images.
