Mission accomplished! Team USA went undefeated and won their 5th consecutive gold medal. Most of the games were a walk in the park, due to the United States’ superior talent advantage. Other than the semifinals matchup against Serbia, which was one of the greatest Olympic basketball games ever played. Watching this group of players come together for a common goal was a blast. It’s not often basketball fans get to see all their favorite players all on the same team, in a competitive situation, fighting for the same thing. Paychecks be damned! It’s all about the pride of playing for your nation and for the love of the game. Let’s rank, for the final time!

1. LeBron James (previous ranks: 1, 1) – Talk about going out on a high! The ageless wonder that is LeBron was the most consistent player on Team USA. Which is quite something, given his advanced age and how much Steve Kerr put on his plate, doing most of the ball-handling, play-making, rebounding and displaying a lot of outward leadership. The last piece being very important, as the two other big guns (Steph & KD) like to go about their business and lead by example. A vocal, on-court presence is a must. It was fun seeing how the other players and bench reacted when LeBron let his emotions fly. He’ll go down as one of the very best American athletes of all-time.
2. Stephen Curry (previous ranks: 3, 8) – Going into the knockout stage it was dicey. Steph wasn’t shooting with confidence like normal, even with the quality shots he was taking, and was being exposed on defense as a liability. Steve Kerr has been his coach for over a decade, so he must’ve known a scoring outburst was coming and the defense would pick up. Serbia took Team USA to the brink and planned for almost every scenario, except a Curry mega-storm. He started hot and never let up, going for 36 points, hitting 9 3-pointers and literally saved everyone from a massive embarrassment. France had the foresight of seeing the barrage and planned their defense accordingly. It did not matter. The Baby-Faced Assassin made 8 3-pointers and finished with 24 points on the way to gold. His short, but sweet Olympics career will be remembered fondly.
3. Kevin Durant (previous ranks: 4, 2) – Was questionable coming into the games, but quickly proved he was fine after scoring 23 points against Serbia in the opening game. While never reaching those dizzying scoring heights again, he did impact the game in a multitude of other ways. Mostly on defense, using his unique blend of size and length to disrupt and harass the opponent. He’ll ride off into the sunset as the leading scorer in Team USA history.
4. Anthony Davis (previous ranks: 2, 4) – A very capable scorer, who sacrificed shots and, instead, put all his effort and focus into rebounding and defense. The two things the US didn’t have in abundance. This proved to be the right decision, as he was the best, most consistent big-man on the roster. No one defended the paint more efficiently or effectively.
5. Devin Booker (previous ranks: 7, 7) – No one was more malleable than Booker. As a 24 PPG scorer for the Phoenix Suns, he had to instead settle on being the 4th or 5th option in most lineups. That type of role change can negatively affect a player, but he battled though it and contributed in other meaningful ways. Such as his hard-nosed, full-court defense and physical play, a couple of times getting into an opponent’s face and jawing back-and-forth. He made a strong case to be on the 2028 team.
6. Jrue Holiday (previous ranks: 5, 11) – Was dealing with an ankle injury heading into the knockout stage and his status was a bit up in the air. It wasn’t as severe as initially thought, which is good because his perimeter defense, play-making and 3-point shooting were desperately needed.
7. Anthony Edwards (previous ranks: 6, 3) – Primed for a breakout in the KO stage after a strong group stage, but never found a rhythm in limited minutes and slowly drifted out of the rotation. He also let his lack of offensive production affect his defensive effort against Serbia. It was better against France, but Coach Kerr had already shortened the leash. He will need to digest the lessons and experiences from these Olympics because he will be the guy, or close to it, in 2028.
8. Bam Adebayo (previous ranks: 10, 5) – Was the standout performer in the group stage, especially after the South Sudan game where he led the team in points (18). As the KO stage progressed his minutes fell. He was solid against the smaller Brazilian front-court, but struggled against the bigger, more physical frontlines of Serbia and France.
9. Joel Embiid (previous ranks: 10, 11) – The biggest player on Team USA played a smaller than anticipated role all throughout the Olympics. Injuries may have contributed to his slow start, but it never really felt like he was in-sync with the rest of the team. Even in the semifinals against Serbia, where he had his best performance, he had issues rebounding (mostly effort) and staying attached to a smaller opponent. The way the guys rallied around him after the French crowd targeted him might’ve been his biggest contribution. Fostering an us vs. them mentality brought everyone closer together.
10. Derrick White (previous ranks: 8, 6) – A solid player, who happens to do the same types of things as Jrue Holiday, just a smidge worse. Once the KO stage started and his shot wasn’t falling, his defensive effort too slipped a little, so he was one of the first guys who lost his role when the rotation shortened.
11. Jayson Tatum (previous ranks: 9, 9) – Had the toughest time of anyone cracking the rotation and staying in it. Never found his confidence or shot after having his minutes yanked around and given an undefined role.
12. Tyrese Haliburton (previous ranks: 12, 12) – Barely played, but had the best response ever!

Sending LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant home with gold was the driving force behind Team USA. Those 3 guys are some of the best, most talented and well-liked basketball players of all-time and seeing them with gold in their mouth’s was special. It was hard not to get emotional seeing James and Curry embrace while clutching an American flag. The 3 of them stamped their own unique mark on USA basketball and it’ll be interesting to see who steps up to fill their shoes during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.