The Most Badass Moments in Team USA Basketball History

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So far, USA basketball hasn't missed a step. Both the men's and the women's squads are proving why they're the best in the world. The men are on a mission to win gold for the second straight time while the women shoot for their fifth straight. That's right, the women are on their way to accomplish a feat that the men haven't done since 1968.
Via. Complex 


The US has been the benchmark of Olympic basketball since 1936. They've won 16 straight medals (24 if you count the women's 8) since then and are looking to add a few more to that number. There's been a lot of big moments during that time frame on both sides. Like the time Kobe Bryant blew up in the fourth quarter of the 2008 gold medal game in Beijing or when Jordan and Pippen shut Toni Kukoc down. This year's men's team already had a badass moment when a player from Tunisia asked Kobe for an autograph. Check out the rest of The Most Badass Moments in Team USA Basketball History.




Bobby Knight Ethers the Soviets
The US boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics as a protest to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, so the Soviets boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics as a form of retaliation. After the US easily won the gold in '84, Bobby Knight had this to say: "I've been watching them [the Russians] for two years. The Russians wouldn't have won here," he said. "They can't play defense. They couldn't have beaten some of the teams in this tournament, and if you guys don't know that, you're not as smart as I think...And I don't think you're too smart, anyway." Knight added, "We'll beat their butt anywhere they want to play." Lesson learned: Don't fuck with coach Knight.




The Redeem Team
Fresh off of an embarrassing bronze medal finish during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Team USA changed their selection process. The selection committee made it mandatory for the same roster of players to commit for three years. The new rules worked out as the USA Men's Basketball Team was able to build chemistry during the 2006 World Basketball Championships that carried into the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Although they lost in the WBC semis to Greece, Team USA ran through every team they faced until the gold medal game vs. Spain. There the US came out on top with a 118-107 win, lead by Wade's 27 and Bryant's 20. This is the squad everyone should be comparing to the Dream Team.




16 Straight Medals
There hasn't been an Olympiad where the Americans didn't receive a medal in basketball. Overall, they've won 13 gold medals, one silver and two bronze medals. Sixteen up, 16 down. Team USA is poised to make it 17 straight, with the hopes of grabbing their 14 gold. If a country made the game what it is today, then said country should dominate.

 The US Women Dominate

Come on now, we've got to show the women some love. The ladies are attempting to win their fifth straight gold medal this summer and are on a 33-game winning streak dating back to 1992. Their success during this time period led to the creation of the WNBA. The women's team is looking to continue their decades of dominance with the help of superstars, Maya Moore and Candace Parker in London this summer.

 Read the full list here http://www.complex.com/sports/2012/08/the-most-badass-moments-in-team-usa-basketball-history/usa-basketball-1