USA Basketball’s most memorable moments from the past 4 Olympic games
USA Basketball has historically dominated the Olympic Games, peaking with a jaw-dropping performance by “The Dream Team” in 1992. That team will be hard to top, but here’s a look back at the best USA Basketball moment from each of the past four Olympic Games.
2000: Vince Carter Defies Gravity in Sydney:
Both the men’s and women’s teams won Gold in Sydney, with the men beating France 85-75 in the final game. It was the USA’s first matchup with France in the group stage, however, that would produce the highlight to end all highlights:
It was absolute pandemonium when Vince Carter threw down an unfathomable dunk over (literally, he jumped over) Frederic Weis. Weis avoided highlights of the play for 10 years, and no one can blame him for that. The highlight gets bonus points for the appearance of Kevin Garnett, bringing the (sometimes terrifying) intensity he’d show in Boston years later.
2004 : Team USA Women win Gold in Athens:
While the ’04 men’s team was the talk of the nation with a disappointing Bronze finish, the women got the job done and brought home gold. It wasn’t easy for them either, squeaking out a 4-point win against Russia in the semifinal and an 11-point victory over Australia in the final. Led by Lisa Leslie (15.1 points, 8 rebounds per game), who won four Gold medals in her career, the USA women picked up the slack for their male counterparts.
2008: Kobe steps up vs. Spain in Beijing:
The ’08 men’s team was nicknamed “Redeem Team” because of the disappointing showings from the ’04 team in comparison to the ’92 squad. With stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade, the USA dominated all the way up until the Gold medal game. Having won each game by at least 20, the team was caught off-guard by Spain’s strong attack, but Kobe’s 13 fourth-quarter points got the USA back on top.
2012: Women win Gold in London:
The USA women dominated in 2012, winning by at least 27 in all but one game, including a 36-point drubbing of France in the Gold medal match. What was truly impressive about the run was that it gave the team a 41-game winning streak, meaning they haven’t lost since 1992.
2016: Team USA sings “A Thousand Miles”:
While the 2016 Rio Games haven’t begun yet, the men’s team has already given us a moment to remember:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FxTRe6TREU
The team chemistry seems to be on point (even with a very grumpy Carmelo Anthony), and when the Olympics begin the team will look to continue their own 17-game winning streak, dating back to 2004.
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