Olympic Basketball 2012: Best Single-Game Performances in Team USA's History

Team USA has been a dominant force in Olympic Basketball ever since 1936, and there have been some phenomenal individual single-game performances along the way.

Basketball is a team sport, but it's always fun to take a look back at the top individual efforts. It was a tough task to rank these performances, though, as scorekeepers didn't keep track of anything other than points until 1972. 

I welcome any rebuttals in the comments section below, and I hope you enjoy my take on the top single-game performances in Team USA's history at the Olympics.

Note: Special thanks to Basketball-Reference.com for providing all the box scores. Without their hard work, this post wouldn't have been possible. 

10. Tim Duncan: 2004 Against Puerto Rico

Tim Duncan shined in a losing effort against Puerto Rico in the first round of the 2004 Olympics. 

The Big Fundamental did everything in his power to keep his team from losing, but he didn't have enough help along the way. 

Duncan's statline for this game: 15 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and five steals. 

It's a shame that Duncan's lone appearance at the Olympics came in 2004—an embarrassing year for Team USA, as they came home with a bronze medal.

9. Michael Jordan: 1992 Against Croatia

Believe it or not, Michael Jordan wasn't the star for the 1992 Dream Team. That role fell to Charles Barkley, who bullied his way through smaller opponents in the post. 

But I digress. Jordan came through with a masterful overall performance in the second round against Croatia. 

Jordan's stats: 21 points, two rebounds, three assists and eight steals.

Honestly, there were many other players who put up better numbers that I could have included instead of Jordan here. That said, I couldn't overlook the fact that he stole the ball eight times. 

Team USA couldn't be overcome in 1992, and Jordan had a lot to do with it. 

8. Clyde Lovellette: 1952 Against Argentina

Unfortunately, there aren't any stats to tell us how many rebounds, assists, blocks or steals Clyde Lovellette may have tacked on to his 27-point outing against Argentina in 1952. 

What I can tell you is that Lovellette was timely with his performance, as this was a semifinal game that Team USA won 85-76 and Lovellette only averaged 13.9 points throughout the 1952 Olympic Games.

Well done, sir. Well done.

7. Jerry Lucas: 1960 Against Japan

Jerry Lucas was one of Team USA's main offensive weapons in 1960, averaging 16.8 points per game.

He was the second-leading scorer of an exceptional team that included Oscar Robinson, Jerry West, Bob Boozer and Walt Bellamy. 

Lucas' best game came in the team's second game of the tournament, when he scored 28 points against Japan.

He and Team USA went on to annihilate the competition and brought home the gold medal. 

6. Adrian Dantley: 1976 Against Yugoslavia

Adrian Dantley was a beast for Team USA in 1976, averaging 19.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a forward/guard combo. 

This is only his first of two appearances on this list, if that tells you anything.

Dantley's stats in this game: 27 points, seven rebound and chipped in with two assists to lead Team USA to a 112-93 victory.

Keep in mind that at this time, scorekeepers didn't keep track of stats like steals and blocks, so Dantley's statline could actually be more impressive if they had done so.

5. David Robinson: 1996 Against Serbia and Montenegro

David Robinson, aka "The Admiral" dominated Serbia and Montenegro in the 1996 gold medal game. 

Robinson's stats: 28 points, seven rebounds and two steals. 

He chose a perfect time to step up, too, as he hadn't been a huge factor in the games that year, averaging only 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. 

In fact, Robinson's effort in the 1996 final was the best performance of his three-time Olympic career, by far. 

4. Dwyane Wade: 2008 Against Spain

Dwyane Wade had the best game of his Olympic career when it mattered most: in the 2008 gold-metal round against Spain. 

Wade was part of the disappointing 2004 team that came home with a bronze medal, and he made sure they came home with gold in 2008. 

Wade's stats in the final: 27 points, two rebounds, two assists and four steals. 

Wade did it all for Team USA in this game, playing aggressive on both ends of the court. His efforts were rewarded, too, as he and his team beat the Spaniards 118-107.

3. Adrian Dantley: 1976 Against Yugoslavia...Part 2

Perhaps someone from the Yugoslavian team said something about Adrian Dantley's momma.

I don't know.

What I do know is that he went off on them for the second time in a row in the final round of the 1976 Olympic games to help Team USA take home the gold. Remember, he had already dumped 27 points and seven rebounds on them earlier in these games.

Dantley's stats in that game: 30 points and four rebounds. 

Perhaps you might say his first outing against Yugoslavia was a more complete effort, but I say this performance should be ranked higher considering it was in the final round for all the marbles.

2. Stephon Marbury: 2004 Against Spain

Wait.

Stephon Marbury?

Yes. 

Believe it or not, Marbury came up in a major way for Team USA in 2004. The team had already suffered two losses in the tournament, and another loss in the quarterfinals would have knocked them out of medal contention altogether.

Marbury's stats in the quarterfinals: 31 points, two rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

Team USA needed his performance, too, as they only won by eight points. 

What's more impressive to me is that Marbury had only been a role player for most of the tournament, averaging 12.5 points and 3.4 assists throughout.

1. Charles Barkley: 1992 Against Brazil

Charles Barkley—not Michael Jordan—was the biggest, most consistent contributor to the 1992 Dream Team. 

Throughout the tournament, he averaged 18 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.6 steals and just under a block per game. 

Barkley's best performance came in Round 4 against Brazil. 

His stats for that game: 30 points, eight rebounds, one assist, four steals and one block.

It is the best single-game performance in Team USA Olympic history, and we're not likely to see another game like it for a long time.

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