Kristian Ferrell
The 2004 Olympic Men's Basketball tournament in Athens, Greece, saw Argentina defeat Italy 84-69 to take home the gold medal. The United States men's basketball team, coached by Larry Brown, was favoured to win but only managed to secure the bronze medal. This was the second time the US men's basketball team took home the bronze medal, having previously done so in 1988.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Event | 2004 Summer Olympics |
| Location | Athens, Greece |
| Dates | 15-28 August |
| Venue | Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena and Olympic Indoor Hall |
| Number of Teams | 12 |
| Group Stage Format | 2 preliminary round groups of 6 teams each; top 4 teams from both groups advance to the knockout stage |
| Medal | Bronze |
| Team Roster | Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Richard Jefferson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Emeka Okafor |
| Coach | Larry Brown |
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What You'll Learn
Team USA's bronze medal
The team was coached by Larry Brown, who had just come off a championship win in the 2004 NBA Finals. However, the roster he took to Athens was hastily assembled and flawed, with several prominent players declining invitations due to security concerns following the September 11, 2001 attacks. The team included veterans Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, and captain Tim Duncan, along with newcomers LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade.
Team USA's campaign got off to a disastrous start, losing their opening game to Puerto Rico by 19 points (92-73), which was the worst defeat the United States had ever suffered in international play. This broke their 24-game Olympic winning streak and set the tone for the rest of the tournament. They suffered further losses to Lithuania in the group stage and to Argentina in the semi-finals.
Despite their struggles, Team USA managed to secure the bronze medal, beating Lithuania 104-96 in the bronze medal match. This was a hard-fought victory, with Lithuania launching a 3-point barrage that the Americans had to withstand. The bronze medal was a bitter-sweet achievement, with forward Shawn Marion commenting, "When you aren't playing for gold and you're playing for third place, it hurts."
The result prompted a complete overhaul of the Olympics selection process, leading to a trio of gold medal victories in the subsequent Games in Beijing, London, and Rio.
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Argentina's gold medal
Argentina's men's basketball team had a stunning run at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, which culminated in the nation winning its first gold medal in the sport since the 1952 Summer Olympics. This was Argentina's 21st appearance at the Olympic Games, with non-attendance in 1904, 1912, and 1980 due to support for the US-led boycott. The nation sent 152 competitors, 106 men and 46 women, to compete in 86 events across 22 sports.
The men's basketball tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place from 15 August to 28 August, with 12 teams divided into two preliminary round groups of six teams each. Argentina's road to the final included a semi-final game against the United States, which they won. This was only the third defeat for the US in the medal round since basketball was introduced to the Olympics in 1936.
In the final, Argentina faced Italy, defeating them 84-69 to clinch the gold medal. This victory was a significant upset, as the US men's basketball team was heavily favored to win, having won the previous three tournaments. The US team's bronze medal finish was their second in Olympic history, with their other third-place finish coming in 1988.
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Team USA's loss to Puerto Rico
The 2004 Olympic men's basketball tournament in Athens, Greece, saw Team USA suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of Puerto Rico in their opening preliminary-round game. This loss marked the end of a 24-game Olympic winning streak for the Americans, who had not lost a game since the inclusion of NBA players in 1992. The final score of 92-73 represented a convincing victory for Puerto Rico, making it the largest margin of defeat for the US in Olympic history.
The Puerto Rican team's triumph was all the more impressive given that they had lost to the Americans five times in the previous 13 months, including a 96-71 exhibition game just a month prior. However, their victory in Athens showcased the talent and experience of their squad, which included three players with NBA history. This included their team captain and Utah Jazz player Carlos Arroyo, who was chosen to carry the Puerto Rican flag in the opening ceremony.
For Team USA, the loss was a significant blow to their confidence and a stark reminder that they were vulnerable on the world stage. Despite boasting a roster filled with future NBA superstars, such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Emeka Okafor, the Americans struggled with their outside shooting and defence throughout the tournament. Their loss to Puerto Rico was just the third in US Olympic men's basketball history, with their previous defeats coming against the Soviet Union in 1972 and 1988.
The 2004 Olympics marked a turning point for Team USA, as they finished with a bronze medal, losing to Lithuania in the group stage and Argentina in the semi-finals. This disappointing performance sparked a complete overhaul of the Olympics selection process, leading to a trio of gold medal victories in the following games in Beijing, London, and Rio. Despite the setback, the 2004 team's coach, Larry Brown, who had just come off a championship win in the 2004 NBA Finals, remained a respected figure in basketball, later being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Team USA's roster
Team USA entered the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, as favourites to win the gold medal in the men's basketball tournament. They had won the previous three tournaments and were led by future Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown, who had just come off a championship in the 2004 NBA Finals.
However, the team suffered a humiliating loss in their opening game, losing to Puerto Rico by 19 points—the largest margin of defeat for the U.S. in Olympic history. This defeat ended their 24-game Olympic winning streak. Team USA also lost group stage games to Lithuania and Argentina in the semi-finals, resulting in their worst performance in Olympic history with three losses. They finished the tournament with a bronze medal.
The team's roster included:
- Tim Duncan
- Allen Iverson
- Richard Jefferson
- LeBron James
- Carmelo Anthony
- Dwyane Wade
- Emeka Okafor
The team featured just one All-NBA selection (Duncan) and two All-Stars (Duncan and Iverson) from the prior NBA season, which are both all-time lows for a U.S. Olympic team.
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The tournament's format
The 2004 Olympic Men's Basketball tournament was the sixteenth appearance of basketball as an official Olympic medal event. The tournament took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena, part of the Hellinikon Olympic Complex in Athens, Greece, with the later stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. The tournament began on 15 August and ended on 28 August, with Argentina defeating Italy 84-69 in the final to claim their first Olympic gold medal in basketball.
Twelve teams participated in the tournament, divided into two preliminary round groups of six teams each. The host nation, Greece, automatically qualified, as did FR Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro) as winners of the two World Championship tournaments in 2002. The remaining ten spots were allocated by the five Olympic zones (Africa, Oceania, Europe, the Americas, and Asia), with each zone holding its own tournaments to select its entries.
The tournament format consisted of a preliminary round, a knockout stage, and additional classification matches. In the preliminary round, the twelve teams were split into two groups of six, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage. The fifth-placed teams from both groups competed for ninth place, and the sixth-placed teams played for eleventh place.
The knockout stage started with the quarterfinal round, featuring matchups between the top four teams from each group (A1 vs. B4, A2 vs. B3, A3 vs. B2, and A4 vs. B1). The winners of the quarterfinal matches advanced to the semifinals, with the losers playing additional classification matches to determine final rankings. The semifinal winners progressed to the final, while the losers played for the bronze medal.
The 2004 Olympic Men's Basketball tournament was notable for several reasons. The United States, considered favourites after winning the previous three tournaments, suffered three losses and finished with a bronze medal, their worst performance in Olympic basketball history. Their opening loss to Puerto Rico was their worst-ever defeat in the Olympics, and they also lost to Lithuania and Argentina, who eventually won the gold medal. This tournament marked the introduction of young NBA stars like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Emeka Okafor to the US Olympic team.
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Frequently asked questions
Argentina won the gold medal in men's basketball at the 2004 Olympics, defeating Italy 84-69 in the final.
The US men's basketball team included Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Richard Jefferson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Emeka Okafor.
The US men's basketball team won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. They lost three games, the most ever by a US men's Olympic basketball team. They lost to Puerto Rico in the opening game, Lithuania in the group stage, and Argentina in the semi-finals.
The US men's basketball team struggled with outside shooting and defence during the tournament. Additionally, there were player withdrawals and late arrivals due to prior commitments.
