Post-Olympic Team USA Power Rankings

What may have been the greatest international basketball game of all time concluded with Team USA taking home the gold medal. This year’s Olympic basketball tournament was truly special, featuring endless headlines and spectacular moments that had the whole world on the edge of their seats. France, Serbia, and every other team that participated put up a determined fight, but in the end, what may be the most talented basketball roster to ever be assembled gutted out the gold. But how did the USA do it? Which players were most important on Team USA’s run, and which had a trip to France that they would like to forget? 

Post-Olympic Team USA Power Rankings

12. Tyrese Haliburton

Tyrese Haliburton was the classic young guy just along for the ride. He appeared in three out of the six games for the USA, scoring a combined eight points. Haliburton deserves credit for handling this lack of playing time, though, as he remained a constant source of energy from the bench throughout the USA’s run. Haliburton is an accomplished player who is most definitely up to par with the world’s best, yet didn’t make the moment about him. The last-place ranking is not to say his performance was poor; he just didn’t get enough minutes to warrant a higher ranking. 

11. Jayson Tatum

The Jayson Tatum drama was one of the biggest storylines throughout Team USA’s Olympic run. Tatum is a defending NBA champion and a four-time All-NBA player, yet didn’t play in the semi-final match against Serbia. Head Coach Steve Kerr was almost forced to give him minutes in the final against France, yet Tatum didn’t prove any of his doubters wrong. He was invisible on the court, and other wings on the roster, like Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker, made much more impactful plays. Tatum’s lack of consistent minutes prevented him from developing chemistry on the court with his teammates, which showed in the final. It will be interesting to see if Tatum returns for the 2028 Olympics.

10. Derrick White

Derrick White did not enter the game against France, but his consistent play in other matches for the USA gives him this ranking. White was a great glue guy to have on the roster in the early stages of the tournament, and he provided meaningful minutes in the group phase and against Brazil in the quarterfinals. Perhaps the biggest news about Derrick White this Olympics, however, was that he was awarded the last roster spot over his teammate and the NBA Finals MVP winner, Jaylen Brown.

9. Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo had some elite flashes throughout Team USA’s run and was a great backup to have on the roster. His best game was against South Sudan in the group stage, where he had 18 points on 80% shooting from the field. His minutes slowly diminished as the games got more important, but Adebayo consistently brought energy and a defensive presence whenever he stepped onto the court. This is Adebayo’s second gold medal for the USA, and at 27 years old, he could reasonably add two more to tie Kevin Durant at four.

8. Anthony Edwards

It was an up-and-down Olympics for Anthony Edwards, but it’s safe to say that he left his mark on the USA’s march for gold. A disappointing outing against Serbia in the semi-finals, where he had two points in just 13 minutes played, drops Edwards to eighth on the list, but a bounce-back game in the championship match redeemed his honor. Edwards had eight points against France, including two huge threes that energized Team USA in the first quarter. Edwards likely will become the face of USA basketball, and this first Olympics was simply an introduction to the international game.

7. Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid’s play down the stretch against Serbia was some of the best basketball of his career. He was in great shape and was highly motivated to prove his doubters wrong. In the game, Embiid scored 19 points, shooting over 70% from the field, but most importantly, he held his own against Nikola Jokic. However, in the final against France, it was a different story. In the first few minutes of the game, it became evident that Victor Wembanyama was a step too quick for Embiid, resulting in limited minutes for the rest of the game. Embiid played in two five-minute stretches to start the first and second half, but he was on the bench with the game on the line. Overall, it was a pretty disappointing Olympics for a guy who might have been the most talented player on the roster.

6. Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday undoubtedly played like the best Boston Celtic on Team USA. Holiday’s defense was phenomenal throughout the tournament, and his shot was falling in all five games he appeared in. Holiday shot 50% from three throughout Team USA’s run and oftentimes was a breath of fresh on a team with so many ball-dominant players. Holiday contributed six points and four assists in the final against France and helped the USA weather the blue storm in the fourth quarter. He was one of the few bench players who saw consistent minutes throughout the Olympics, and each game he proved his value to the USA.

5. Anthony Davis

While Anthony Davis had a quiet day in the semi-finals against Serbia as Embiid took over, he was vital to Team USA in every other game. Not including the game against Serbia, Davis averaged over nine points and seven rebounds in the tournament. In the final, Davis truly let loose. He was the only USA big man who could stop Wembanyama and had four blocks in the game. Davis was consistently lurking around the rim and had several put-back dunks that invigorated his team and the crowd. Davis played like a grown man against France and was rewarded by being on the court in the closing minutes. This Olympic run reminded the nation just how good Anthony Davis can be.

4. Devin Booker

Devin Booker was the biggest surprise for Team USA at this Olympics. On the Phoenix Suns, he is a dynamic playmaker who thrives in isolation offense. Yet, on the international stage, Booker blossomed into an automatic shooter who punished the defense for every mistake they made while not needing the ball in his hands. Booker consistently made big shots throughout the tournament, and in the final against France, he carried the torch for the USA in the first half with 13 points. Booker shot over 55% from three throughout the Olympics, and his versatility was precisely what the USA needed in their starting lineup. 

3. Kevin Durant

The greatest Team USA player of all time again had a fantastic Olympics. Despite injury concerns, Kevin Durant started his time in Paris with a bang, scoring 23 points on 8/9 shooting against Serbia in the group stage. From there on out, he proved to be a consistent threat from deep that could get a bucket when it mattered most. Durant’s biggest play of the tournament came in the semi-finals, where he called for an iso and then hit a deep two to end Serbia’s golden dreams. In the final, Durant had 15 points in his 31 minutes and helped close out France in the fourth quarter. Durant’s fourth gold medal puts him alone at the top for men’s basketball and cements his legacy as an Olympic icon.

2. Stephen Curry 

Going into the semi-final against Serbia, people wondered if Steve Kerr would have to bring Stephen Curry off the bench due to his poor play. Curry shot 36% from the field in his first four games, and he seemed to be a liability on the defensive end. However, the next two games answered any questions people had. 36 points against Serbia and then 24 points against France proved why Curry is one of the greatest players ever. He led a 17-point comeback against Nikola Jokic, then scored 12 points in the final three minutes of the Olympic finals to win Team USA the gold medal. Before those three minutes, I was ready to drop Curry to number five on this list. He was incredibly loose with his handle and had five turnovers on the night. But then, well, we know what happened next. It was one of the greatest stretches of basketball a player can have, as he made four contested threes in a row, each harder than the last. It wasn’t Durant or LeBron James who had the ball in his hands when it mattered most; it was Stephen Curry. Like it has been throughout his basketball career, although Curry was the smallest guy on the court, he left the biggest impact and was one of the biggest reasons that the USA won the gold medal. 

1. LeBron James

Despite Curry’s brilliance down the stretch, the consistency of LeBron James warrants him the top spot. James averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the six games and deservedly won the FIBA Olympic MVP. Despite being 39 years old, James was the most active player on both ends of the floor for the USA and played a team-high 32 minutes in the semi-final and final games. The most impressive part of James’ stretch of games was his transition offense. James was unstoppable when on the break throughout the tournament, either finding the open man for three or violently attacking the rim and laying the ball over multiple defenders. James was the conductor of Team USA and was the sole reason all the pieces worked together so well. The win marks James’ third gold medal and is yet another feather in the cap of arguably the greatest basketball player of all time.

As the rest of the world gets exponentially better at basketball every four years, international play will only get better. And with James, Durant, and Curry likely done playing for Team USA, the future of USA basketball still needs to be determined. Who will be the face of the 2028 Olympic Games?

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