The game of basketball became an official Olympic sport in the year 1936. They originally organized it on an outdoor tennis court. Women’s basketball made its debut only in 1976 at the Montreal Games. How many basketball teams are qualified to be in the Olympics? A total of 12 teams can only qualify as a basketball team in the Olympics. Usually, Seven teams are chosen through Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur which is also known as FIBA World Cup and the four slots are dictated through the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament.
The strongest basketball team in the Olympics from the men’s section is the USA team with a record streak from 1936 to 1968. The strongest basketball team in the Olympics from the women’s section also goes to the USA team with nine gold medals in their name. Among the women’s basketball teams in the Olympics, the second-best women’s team is the Soviet Union basketball Olympic team.
The Indian Basketball Olympic team qualified for the Olympics only once in the 1980 Moscow Olympics also one of the most controversial Olympics. A lot of countries took their names out from being a basketball team in the Olympics because the Soviet Union had launched a military invasion of Afghanistan. They also didn’t want to participate since the Olympics were to be held in Moscow. In the List below you’ll find 5 Basketball Teams in the Olympics.
Basketball teams in the Olympics (Men):
| Teams | Number of Medals |
|---|---|
| USA | 16 Gold medals, 1 Silver medal, 2 Bronze medals |
| Soviet Union (now dissolved) | 2 Gold medals, 4 Silver medals, 3 Bronze medals |
| Yugoslavia | 1 Gold medal, 3 Silver medals, 1 Bronze medal |
| Argentina | 1 Gold medal, 0 Silver medals, 1 Silver medal |
| Spain | 0 Gold medal, 3 Silver medals, 1 Bronze medal |
USA Basketball Olympic Team
The USA Olympics basketball team is one of the strongest teams in the world having won medals in all nineteen games and 16 of them being gold medals. They also have an unbeaten streak to their names from the year 1936 to 1968. The first time the USA lost its gold medal to the Soviet Union was during the 1972 Munich Olympics. This ended up in the USA losing some of its best hoopers.
In the year 1992 Barcelona Olympics allowed professional basketball players to be a part of the team according to the FIBA. This helped the USA inform one of the greatest sports teams of all time. This team was also termed the Dream Team. And they were the first team to score 100 points in every match they had played. One of the strongest players on the USA Basketball Olympic team is Kevin Durant having won 3 Gold Olympic medals and is one of the best shooters that the USA Basketball team has had.
Soviet Union Basketball Olympic Team
The Soviet Union basketball team represented the entire Soviet Union but after the dissolution of the entire Soviet Union, the independent countries went on to form their teams. It is the second strongest international team to have ever existed. And also won its first Gold Olympic medal against the USA during the 1972 Munich Basketball Olympics by one point. They boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles because they were concerned about the safety of their players and security concerns. Though it was just a follow-up reaction to when the USA boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
One of the best players that the Soviet Union had was Sergei Belov. He was one of the most notable players who was recognized to play for CSKA Moscow and also the Senior Union basketball team.
Sergei was one of the best players among the Europeans and was granted the honor to light the Olympic Cauldron with the Olympic flame during the year 1980 Moscow Olympics. He was also termed to be one of the Best FIBA players ever by FIBA in the year 1991. Belov also holds a position as one of the 50 players in the Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008.
Yugoslavia Basketball Olympic Team
Yugoslavia’s Basketball Olympic team represented the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from the year of 1936 to 1992 and was regulated by the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia. It went on to improve after World War II and captured 5 Olympic medals. Many say that Yugoslavia made what basketball is today. Also, one of the teams strongest than the Dream Teams was the Yugoslavian team but they were never able to come together on the court as one team.
The Yugoslavian Olympic team was also one of the strongest European teams and also notable during the FIBA Championship tournaments because of which they were a permanent team at the Olympics. One of the best then Yugoslavian players is Ivo Daneu. He was a Slovenian player who played the position of a point guard and shooting guard. Ivo represented the Yugoslavia team internationally. He won the Silver Olympic medal during the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Ivo was termed to be FIBA’s one of the greatest 50 players. Daneu was also given the honor of his name being included in the Slovenian Athletes Hall of Fame in 2012.
Argentina Basketball Olympic Team
The Argentine Basketball Federation controls the Argentina Basketball team nicknamed The Argentine Soul. It is one of the most successful teams in the Americas.
Argentina’s Basketball team is the only national team to have won the quintuple. The quintuples are the FIBA World Cup, Olympic Gold medal, FIBA Diamond Ball, FIBA AmeriCup, and Pan American Gold Medal. It is also one of the only four countries to have won the Olympic Gold Medal. They were also one of the only teams to have defeated the USA team which consisted of the NBA players
A notable Argentinian basketball player is Manu Ginobili. He has had a long career of 23 years and is one of the only two players to have won a EuroLeague title. He is often praised for introducing the Euro Step move into the NBA.
Spain Basketball Olympic Team
The Spain Olympic team has appeared in the Summer Olympics 13 times winning three silver medals and one bronze medal. Spain is currently been ranked as the second-best team by the FIBA World Rankings. Spain was not able to make it to the 1936 Olympics because of a Spanish civil war.
The team won its first Olympic medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The Spain basketball team faced the USA team for the gold medal thrice but lost to them on all three occasions.
One of the greatest and most well-known Spanish Basketball players on the team is Pau Gasol. He is the second Spanish to be selected to play in the NBA and the first to play an NBA All-Star Game. Pau is one of the only four players to have scored a total of 20,000 points, 3,500 assists, 11,000 rebounds, and 1,900 blocks. He also is the receiver of three Olympic medals that 2 silver and one bronze medal.
Conclusion
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