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Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball

  • Kevin DurantKevin Durant wore number 35 to honor his murdered youth coach. Charles Craig was 35 when he died.
  • Dwyane WadeDwyane Wade's sister tricked him into a car ride at age eight. She said movies but took him to live with their father.
  • LeBron JamesLeBron James led Cleveland back from a 3-1 Finals deficit, a first in NBA history. It ended a 52-year title wait.
  • Clyde DrexlerClyde Drexler couldn't make his high school basketball team as a sophomore. He later reached the Hall of Fame twice.
  • Kobe BryantKobe Bryant scored 81 points against Toronto in 2006, the second-highest NBA game total ever.
  • Jerry WestThe NBA logo is a silhouette of Jerry West, and he was never paid for it.
  • Karl MaloneKarl Malone played 193 playoff games without winning a championship. That is more than any player without a ring.
  • Stephen CurryVirginia Tech offered Stephen Curry only a walk-on spot. He later became the NBA's all-time three-point leader.
  • Joel EmbiidJoel Embiid scored 70 points against the Spurs on January 22, 2024, breaking a 76ers record from 1967.
  • Larry BirdLarry Bird asked who would finish second at the first Three-Point Shootout, then won it.
  • Patrick EwingPatrick Ewing crossed North Carolina off his list after seeing a nearby Ku Klux Klan rally. He chose Georgetown.
  • Hakeem OlajuwonHakeem Olajuwon did not touch a basketball until he was 15. The Nigerian goalkeeper later won an NBA title.
  • Bill RussellBill Russell won eleven NBA championships in thirteen seasons. No team has matched that record since.
  • Kevin LoveKevin Love grabbed 31 rebounds in one game in November 2010. It set a Timberwolves record.
  • Michael JordanMichael Jordan was cut from his high school varsity team as a sophomore for being too short.
  • Charles BarkleyCharles Barkley became the shortest player ever to lead the NBA in rebounding.
  • Scottie PippenScottie Pippen got no college scholarship offers, yet he ended up with six championship rings.
  • Magic JohnsonMagic Johnson told the world he had HIV from the free throw line in 1991. He was 32 and a five-time NBA champion.
  • Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'Neal twice broke steel backboard supports with his dunks. The NBA then redesigned its equipment.
  • Chris BoshBlood clots ended Chris Bosh's NBA career after two straight championships with Miami.
  • Klay ThompsonKlay Thompson scored 37 points in one quarter against the Kings in 2015, an NBA record.
  • Kyrie IrvingKyrie Irving was born in Australia to two American parents. His father had followed basketball there.
  • John StocktonJazz fans greeted John Stockton's 1984 draft pick with stunned silence.
  • Christian LaettnerChristian Laettner topped an ESPN fan poll as college basketball's most hated player.

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