Summer Olympics Basketball: Countries with the Most Medals

The 1992 United States Basketball Team - The "Dream Team"

So who are the best basketball countries in the world?  Well, right now, if you look over the last 20 years, it’s the United States (of course), Argentina, Spain, Italy, France, Lithuania, Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro.

These eight countries have monopolized all the Olympic medals (15) over the last 20 years – see second list below.

Today’s main list looks at all medaling since basketball became an official modern Olympic sport in 1936.  These 15 countries have won all 51 Olympic basketball medals since then.

The U.S. is up top, followed by the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia rounding out the top three.

Thanks to my source, sports-reference.com.

Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.

OLYMPIC BASKETBALL MEDALS BY COUNTRY

	COUNTRY	TOTAL	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE
1.	United States	16	13	1	2
2.	Soviet Union	9	2	4	3
3.	Yugoslavia	5	1	3	1
4.	Brazil	3	0	0	3
4.	Lithuania	3	0	0	3
6.	Argentina	2	1	0	1
6.	France	2	0	2	0
6.	Italy	2	0	2	0
6.	Spain	2	0	2	0
6.	Uruguay	2	0	0	2
11.	Canada	1	0	1	0
11.	Croatia	1	0	1	0
11.	Cuba	1	0	0	1
11.	Mexico	1	0	0	1
11.	Serbia and Montenegro	1	0	1	0

CHRONOLOGICAL

YEAR	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE
2008	United States	Spain	Argentina
2004	Argentina	Italy	United States
2000	United States	France	Lithuania
1996	United States	Serbia and Montenegro	Lithuania
1992	United States	Croatia	Lithuania
1988	Soviet Union	Yugoslavia	United States
1984	United States	Spain	Yugoslavia
1980	Yugoslavia	Italy	Soviet Union
1976	United States	Yugoslavia	Soviet Union
1972	Soviet Union	United States	Cuba
1968	United States	Yugoslavia	Soviet Union
1964	United States	Soviet Union	Brazil
1960	United States	Soviet Union	Brazil
1956	United States	Soviet Union	Uruguay
1952	United States	Soviet Union	Uruguay
1948	United States	France	Brazil
1936	United States	Canada	Mexico

Photo: interbasket.net