Team USA is currently the center of attention of basketball fans across the world. To those who might not be well informed on the subject, the 2024 Paris Olympics are only a few weeks away from beginning. Since the USA is where the majority of NBA stars such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry are from, they always face the pressure to win international tournaments.
Although other teams have managed to win the gold medal in the Olympics, there is no denying that Team USA has found the most amount of success. With that being said, one must wonder who has been the best player in the history of Team USA. Since this should certainly be a matter of interest, a closer look is required.
Kevin Durant has scored the most points in Team USA history
It might catch fans off guard to hear that Kevin Durant is the scoring leader in Team USA’s Olympic history. While one would assume that LeBron James, Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant held the top spot, it is Durant who has been the best offensive player for Team USA over the past few decades.
The statistics reveal that KD has scored 435 points in 3 trips to the Olympics. He essentially averaged 19.7 points in his 3 Olympics trips. All of them resulted in Team USA securing the gold medal and establishing itself as the best country in the world.
Seeing that Kevin Durant stands well above the other NBA greats in terms of scoring at an international level, one can certainly understand why many NBA experts refer to him as one of the greatest scorers in the history of the game.
Which version of Team USA was the best?
It is important to keep in mind that this is just a matter of opinion. After all, each Team USA roster was filled with the best stars from the NBA when they were usually in their prime. While any team could make a claim to have the top spot, the 2012 Team USA might just be the best one.
The team featured Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and several others. They crushed every team in their path and were undefeated throughout the entire 2012 Olympics. Team USA defeated Spain in the Finals in order to bring a gold medal back home.