With the Olympics in full swing, some of the world’s greatest athletes continue to compete at the highest level for their respective nations. This includes some of the best talent that the NBA has to offer, with a number of them representing the US.
For more than three decades, the US has dominated the competition, winning 25 gold medals among both men and women, the most in Olympic basketball history. However, after falling short in the FIBA World Cup games, after some controversial comments from track star Noah Lyles forced the US to bring their ‘A game’ to Paris.
With a roster filled with superstars, it’s only a matter of time before one of them has the performance of their lives, but it’s a lot more difficult to stand out on a star-studded team like this. The ones that do, find themselves forever edged in Olympic basketball history. Here are the top five individual performances by Team USA.
5. Kobe Bryant Against Spain in 2008
Bryant shows no mercy in Beijing
Before James became the leader he is today, Team USA relied on the heroics of the late, great Kobe Bryant to lead them to victory. Living up to his name as the ‘Black Mamba’, he was truly the head of the snake during their Olympic run.
| Kobe Bryant – Stats vs. Spain (Gold Medal Game) | |
|---|---|
| Category | Stat |
| Points | 20 |
| Rebounds | 3 |
| Assists | 6 |
| FG% | 50.0% |
In previous years, the team lacked the necessary toughness and structure needed to succeed, and this is exactly where Bryant thrived.
Notably, setting the tone in dramatic fashion against his own teammate, Pau Gasol , Bryant made sure that his Olympic teammates never questioned his intensity and focus. They immediately followed suit and ran through the entire Olympics.
Once it was time to face off against Spain again in the finals, the team was already a force to be reckoned with. Bryant led the way both offensively and defensively, guarding Spain’s best perimeter player, Rudy Fernández, and scoring 13 of his 20 points in the 4th quarter.
4. David Robinson Against Serbia and Montenegro in 1996
The admiral leading his fleet to victory
One of the United States’ biggest Olympic basketball rivals was the Yugoslavians. Each time the two teams faced off, the US wound up on top, but in 1988, the US was never given the opportunity, losing to another big rival in the semifinals, the Soviet Union.
Led by college phenom David Robinson, the team was embarrassed by their poor performance, only managing to walk away with the bronze medal, while Yugoslavia won silver.
Famously, the US was so embarrassed that they decided to send their best professionals, rather than collegiate stars, in 1992. However, winning in 1992 was not enough. They wanted revenge.
It wasn’t until 1996 that Robinson and Team USA were able to avenge their loss in 1988. In the gold medal game, Robinson was determined to lead his team to victory and make up for his previous shortcomings, although their opponent was now known officially as Serbia and Montenegro.
| David Robinson – Stats vs. Serbia and Montenegro | |
|---|---|
| Category | Stat |
| Points | 28 |
| Rebounds | 7 |
| Assists | 0 |
| FG% | 81.8% |
Leading by only one point with 14 minutes remaining, the admiral finished the game on a tear.
He ended with a game-high of 28 points, missing only two shots the entire game. Beating Serbia and Montenegro in impressive fashion. The team certainly proved that they were unstoppable.
3. Charles Barkley Against Brazil in 1992
Barkley steals the show in Barcelona
It wouldn’t be an Olympic basketball list without including someone from the Dream Team. Regarded by most as the team that changed basketball forever, the Dream Team absolutely obliterated the competition, becoming quite the superstars in the process. Besides ‘His Airness’ Michael Jordan, probably the biggest star on the team was Charles Barkley.
| Charles Barkley – Stats vs. Brazil | |
|---|---|
| Category | Stat |
| Points | 30 |
| Rebounds | 8 |
| Assists | 1 |
| FG% | 85.7% |
NBA Legend Magic Johnson, shed some light on just how beloved Barkley was.
“We could be inside the hotel as soon as we heard the big roar. ‘Ahhh!’ We said, ‘there goes Charles!’”
– Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson
His charisma off the court, and dominance on the court, were the driving forces for them winning gold. There’s no better example of this than his 30-point performance against Brazil. Beating them by a whopping 44 points, Barkley’s overpowering athleticism sent a big message to the rest of the world. If the US is ever to be defeated, they would have to bring their game to the next level.
2. Carmelo Anthony Against Nigeria in 2012
Anthony shoots the lights out in London
One of the greatest scorers in NBA history, Carmelo Anthony gave the whole world a masterclass on how to score without the ball. His role on Team USA fluctuated greatly throughout his career, but the one thing that remained was his ability to shoot the lights out, and they were sure to use that to their advantage.
| Carmelo Anthony – Stats vs. Nigeria | |
|---|---|
| Category | Stat |
| Points | 37 |
| Rebounds | 4 |
| Assists | 1 |
| FG% | 81.3% |
At every opportunity he had, Anthony was letting it fly, and he would hit them at a remarkable rate. One game in particular that stood out was in 2012 against Nigeria.
Anthony was a spark plug off the bench like no other. Adding to the lead the starters had already built for him, he immediately knocked down the first three he took, and from there, it was smooth sailing.
He would finish the game with 37 points, making 10 of his 12 three-pointers and breaking records in both categories. Largely due to Anthony’s incredible shooting, Team USA walked away with the win in a lopsided victory, 156-73.
1. Stephen Curry Against Serbia in 2024
Chef Curry leads dramatic comeback in semifinal
When it looked like it was all about to come crumbling down for Team USA, Stephen Curry stepped up and did what only he could do.
The USA erased a 17-point deficit to beat Serbia 95-91 in the semifinal of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, fueled by Curry’s amazing 36-point performance. The Golden State Warriors superstar shot 12-for-19 from the field, including a ridiculous 9-for-14 from three-point range.
| Stephen Curry – Stats vs Serbia | |
|---|---|
| MIN | 33:06 |
| PTS | 36 |
| REB | 8 |
| AST | 2 |
| FG | 12/19 |
| 3PT | 9/14 |
Curry became a US Olympic legend with the performance to book the Americans in the final against host nation France. The four-time NBA Champion had a relatively quiet tournament up until that point, averaging a modest 7.2 points per game in the first four games in Paris.
Given the stakes and the quality of the opponent, Curry’s monster performance in 2024 is undoubtedly the best game played by an NBA star for Team USA.
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