The USA men’s basketball team will have an opportunity to win its fifth consecutive gold medal in the men’s basketball event when it takes on hosts France in the final on Saturday.
USA, which has stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry on the team, beat Serbia 95-91 in the semifinal to reach the gold medal match, and will go into the game heavy favourites.
When was the last time the USA failed to win gold?
The USA last failed to secure the gold medal in the 2004 Sydney Olympics, when it won bronze instead. In that tournament, the Americans were surprised by eventual gold medallists Argentina, which beat them 89-81. USA would secure third position by beating Lithuania in the bronze medal match.
When was the last time the USA lost a gold medal match?
The USA has only ever lost one gold medal match at the Olympics; the 1972 edition. The defeat came in contentious circumstances. The USA played the Soviet Union in a closely contested gold medal match. With seconds remaining, Doug Collins drew a foul and sank two free throws to send the USA into a 49-50 lead.
The Soviets called for a time-out, and when play resumed, the clock ran out. The victory was American, or so they thought. Play
would be restarted twice again, and the second time around, Alexander Belov scored to make it 51-50, consigning the USA to its only final defeat. Despite having celebrated victory, the USA finished with silver. But the American players never accepted the medals.
Has the USA ever failed to medal at the Olympics?
The USA has won a medal in basketball in every Olympics except one. The only time it did not finish on the podium was in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when the USA boycotted the entire Olympics.
How did the USA do in recent finals
Being defending Olympic champions, the USA will be favourites to win. However, it recently lost the semifinal of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup to Germany, which will give France hope.
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