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Crew USA has been the standard-bearer of worldwide basketball ever because the Olympic Committee permitted skilled gamers to play within the 1992 Barcelona video games. That summer season, arguably the best basketball staff ever was assembled: the 1992 Dream Crew composed of the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Fowl, and another participant named Michael Jordan.
After a disappointing end in 2004, Crew USA bought again on observe in 2008 within the Beijing Olympics, successful gold with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony main the “Redeem Crew” to glory.
Since Crew USA Males’s triumph in China, they might then go on a global rampage, successful all FIBA World Cups and Olympic Basketball tournaments from the 2010 FIBA World Cup to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This is able to come to a bitter finish within the 2019 FIBA World Cup the place a lackluster efficiency noticed them place an embarrassing fifth place within the event.
Lots of all-time greats contributed to the huge success of Crew USA of their dominant stretch. On this piece, we’ll be rating the 5 best gamers to have laced up for Crew USA Males’s Basketball previously decade. As such, the listing will cowl all FIBA World Cups and Olympic Basketball tournaments to have been performed from 2010 to 2019. The gamers’ efficiency will strictly be based mostly on these tournaments and won’t take into consideration their NBA careers. Their respective statistics and particular person awards will primarily be taken under consideration. Lastly, solely senior tournaments can be lined by the listing.
With that, let’s get into Crew USA’s best stalwarts final decade.
5. James Harden
Statistics: 10.1 factors, 1.8 rebounds rebounds, 2.1 assists
Achievements: Gold Medal, 2012 London Olympics; Championship, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup
Beginning us off is The Beard for his scoring exploits with Crew USA.
James Harden took half in two out of 5 worldwide tournaments previously decade, within the back-to-back competitions of the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Naturally, the 6-foot-5 capturing guard was nowhere close to the primary choice within the London event, with the nice Kobe Bryant taking the beginning position.
Harden, who was a last-minute call-up for Crew USA again then, was restricted to only 9.3 minutes a recreation and averaged 5.5 factors in his small position.
Quick ahead two years to the 2014 World Cup held in Spain: Harden was now Crew USA’s captain ball and was a bonafide celebrity. He had an unimaginable event, main the squad in scoring with 14.2 factors per contest. He would rating a global career-high of 23 factors within the finals towards Serbia to cap off a dominant event, whereby the USA gained each single recreation by a median of 33 factors.
An general nice two-year worldwide run from the gifted scorer.
4. Klay Thompson
Statistics: 11.4 factors, 2.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Achievements: Champion, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup; Gold Medal, 2016 Rio Olympics
The ever-reliable Klay Thompson simply barely edged out James Harden within the rankings.
The sharpshooting guard laced up for Crew USA in each the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics, clearly successful each tournaments. He was constantly good in each, with stat traces of 13-2-2 within the 2014 World Cup and 10-3-2 in Rio. He clearly had a greater event in 2014, whereby he led the US in scoring of their first outing towards Finland, with 18 factors on 70 p.c capturing from the sphere. Thompson had one other good outing within the quarterfinal towards Slovenia, going off for 20 enormous factors on 7-of-12 capturing and 50 p.c from three.
Klay would have his best worldwide recreation towards France two years later in Rio, capturing his strategy to a team-high 30 factors on 9-of-16 capturing. Each level was essential for the victory, because the US scraped a decent 100-97 victory over the Frenchmen. Thompson would come up enormous once more within the semifinals towards a Spanish staff led by the Gasol brothers, going 50 p.c from the sphere and from three as he led the star-studded US as soon as once more in scoring with 22 factors.
For his a number of enormous contributions and his essential 30 factors towards France, Thompson simply slots himself in fourth.
3. Carmelo Anthony
Statistics: 14.2 factors, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Achievements: Gold Medal, 2012 London Olympics; Gold Medal, 2016 Rio Olympics
Carmelo Anthony is probably the most adorned Olympian within the historical past of Crew USA Males’s Basketball.
Melo was a part of Crew USA for 4 straight Olympics, successful three gold medals and one bronze. Two of these golds got here in London and Rio whereby he put up 16-5-1 and 12-5-2 stat traces respectively. Anthony was undoubtedly one in every of Crew USA’s finest scorers each time he stepped foot on the worldwide stage.
As such, he has set a number of unimaginable Olympic information. He holds the US all-time single-game scoring file of 37 factors on (additionally a file) 10 threes (each set of their ridiculous 83-point win towards Nigeria in London). He’s additionally the USA’s high scorer within the Olympics, together with his file of 336 factors nonetheless standing.
There’s a motive why the “Olympic Melo” alter ego exists. He had all the time been one in every of Crew USA’s best and most dependable scorers and was arguably this system’s greatest-ever servant.
2. Kyrie Irving
Statistics: 11.8 factors, 2.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists
Achievements: Champion, MVP, All-Event Crew Choice, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup; Gold Medal, 2016 Rio Olympics
2014 and 2016 noticed arguably the very best of Uncle Drew on the worldwide stage.
Regardless of being Australian-born, Irving has been one of many stars of Crew USA within the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics. He churned out spotlight play after spotlight play, from his ridiculous handles and ending to completely positioned lobs to Anthony Davis or Kenneth Faried. He put up stats traces of 12-3-4 and 11-3-5 in Spain and Rio respectively.
Irving was spectacular each time he laced up for the States, however he was significantly particular in a number of standout video games. One was an 18-point, four-assist outing within the 2014 semifinals towards Lithuania.
Nevertheless, Kyrie’s best outing for Crew USA is, after all, his large efficiency within the 2014 Ultimate towards Serbia. Irving went off for a game-high 26 factors on 10-of-13 capturing from the sphere and 6-of-6 from 3-point land.
Uncle Drew barely edged out Melo by advantage of being extra adorned for this decade, though nobody can deny Anthony’s greatness when bearing in mind his 14-year tenure for the States.
1. Kevin Durant
Statistics: 20.6 factors, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Achievements: Champion, MVP, All-Event Choice, 2010 FIBA World Championships; Gold Medal, 2012 London Olympics; Gold Medal, 2016 Rio Olympics
Simply the very best participant to lace up f0r the celebrities and stripes within the 2010s. No different participant suited up for Crew USA in additional tournaments within the earlier decade than Kevin Durant; he turned out for Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s unit for 3 out of 5 potential competitions.
Every time he did, he was virtually all the time the very best participant on the court docket. He has by no means averaged lower than 19 factors per recreation in any event, together with his worldwide career-high of twenty-two.8 factors per recreation coming within the 2010 FIBA World Championships.
The variety of occasions that he led Crew USA in scoring would merely be too many to place right here. There are two moments that can not be unnoticed, nevertheless: his 38-point outburst towards Lithuania within the 2010 semifinals, and the championship-clinching 3o point, nine-rebound performance towards Spain within the 2012 Olympics.
Not one single participant comes near Kevin Durant by way of output and achievements for Crew USA previously decade. It’s completely becoming that arguably the best scorer the sport has ever seen takes high spot on this listing.
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