Basketball at the Olympic Games – Athens 2004

Since NBA pros were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, Team USA has still not lost a single game during an Olympics leading up to the 2004 Games. Even though that represents 24 victories in in a row, something has changed since Barcelona and everyone can feel it. The Americans no longer really have the same aura, no longer give off the same thing since Michael Jordan’s last participation. In 2004, the team they sent to Athens would experience a fate that no other United States team has experienced at the Olympic Games.

Also read: Basketball at the Olympic Games – Sydney 2000: France wins a silver medal with a taste of gold

Team USA on the decline?

After sending a completely unfair rotation of pivots to Atlanta in 1996 with the trio O’Neal-Olajuwon-Robinson, not leaving the slightest chance to their opponents, the US had not yet convinced 100%, whether at level of their involvement or attitude. With the USSR out of the picture, Team USA had averted any risk of seeing its heritage flouted by disposing of what remained of the exceptional generation of Yugoslav players, the last two serious threats weighing on the American national team. However, in Sydney in 2000, Lithuania came within two points of knocking out the Americans in the semi-finals, while Antoine Rigaudeau’s France held the lead with Tim Hardaway and others throughout the Final. Worse, the Americans fell apart during the World Championships in Indianapolis in 2002, falling against the returning Yugoslavia in the quarters.

Not learning from their mistakes, the Americans send rosters of twelve players that are ever more incomplete and inexperienced to defend their colors, and this is still the case in 2004. No Kevin Garnett, no Kobe Bryant or Shaq, Ben Wallace, or Jason Kidd. Team USA sends a serious team but far from being the best available: Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Tim Duncan, Allen IversonLeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom, Emeka Okafor, Amar’e Stoudemire and Dwyane Wade. An average age of just 24, with most of the squad having two, one, or even zero years of experience in the NBA. MVPs Duncan and Iverson are the leaders but the squad has no common experience and this will be felt during the tournament.

Manu Ginobili took out this whole squad in the 2004 Olympics pic.twitter.com/xCErJcsbXR

— Spurs Culture (@SpursCulture) April 4, 2024

Argentina’s miracle generation

While in South America, a nation that was not really expected at this level has just seen the birth of a generation of basketball players that is simply prodigious. Indeed, the Argentine team sends Carlos Delfino, Gabriel Fernandez, Manu GinobiliLeonardo Gutierrez, Walter Herrmann, Alejandro Montecchia, Andres Nocioni, Fabricio ObertoJuan Sanchez, Luis Scola, Hugo Sconochini and Ruben Wolkowyski in Athens. A group that will see seven players reach the NBA, five of whom will have a real career there.

Argentina enters these Athens Olympic Games timidly. A one-point victory against Serbia-Montenegro from Vladimir Radmanovic (21 points) and Dejan Bodiroga (16 points, 5 rebounds) thanks to the unbalanced buzzer-beater of a Manu at 27 points, before losing in the second match against Spain of Pau Gasol (26 points) and Jose Calderon (17 points, 5 assists) 87 to 76, despite 28 points from Luis Scola.

A 25-point victory to reassure themselves against China by Yao Ming (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Yi Jianlian (4 points, 6 rebounds), another strangely close success (94-98) behind the 25 pawns of Luis Scola and Fabricio Oberto’s 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists against New Zealand, and the Argentinians then lost by one point against the Italians. They will have to settle for third place in their group but are still qualified for the next round.

End of the American myth

For the United States, it’s yet another story. From the first match against Puerto Rico by Carlos Arroyo (24 points), and despite 15 points and 16 rebounds from Tim Duncan, the United States lost for the first time at the Olympic Games in more than sixteen years. Stupor in America. The defeat caused a real outcry in the country, Larry Brown’s players were strongly criticized, it was a real state scandal.. You have to realize. Team USA lost by 19 points to a team whose nation is not even recognized by the UN. The following match did little to reassure, the Americans only won by 6 points against the host country led by Antonis Fotsis (22 points).

A match at +10 against the Australians, then the Americans surrender again against the Lithuanians who this time have the skin of the Americans. Richard Jefferson (20 points) and his team cannot prevent the famous Sarunas Jasikevicius (28 points and 4 assists) from devouring them alive. The Americans logically beat Angola by more than 35 points in the following match, still conceding 20 pawns from Gerson Monteiro, which allows them to finish… fourth in their group, the last qualifying place for the quarter-finals. The American myth fell from a height, and its fall took it to the same part of the table as Argentina in these Olympic Games.

In the quarter-finals, the Americans meet the Spaniards who gave the Argentines so much difficulty. The band of Juan Carlos Navarro and Rudy Fernandez can once again count on an unstoppable Pau Gasol (29 points in 40 minutes) who will finish as the tournament’s top scorer, but opposite, Stephon Marbury (31 points, 4 assists) accompanied by Allen Iverson (16 points, 4 assists) is even stronger. The Americans do not get trapped by the Spanish gang, win 94 to 102 and find themselves in the semis.

The consecration of Argentina

In their quarter, the Argentinians came out on top against the Greeks (64 to 69) and therefore found Team USA in the semi-finals. Once again, the young Americans of the 2003 Draft play little. 19 minutes for Dwyane Wade while LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have five minutes between them. The relative additional experience of Stephon Marbury and other Richard Jefferson is privileged, which will cost the Yanks dearly. Lamar Odom (14 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists) and Allen Iverson (10 points, 3 assists) are completely powerless against the masterclass of Manu Ginobili (29 points, 3 assists in 33 minutes). Well helped by Fabricio Oberto (6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) and Juan Sanchez (7 assists), the Argentine guard selected with pick 57 of the 1999 Draft defeats Team USA without any mercy.

August 27, 2004: Argentina 🇦🇷 beats USA 🇺🇸 89-81 in the semifinals of the Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament In Athens. Argentina would go on to win the gold medal 🥇 and USA would win the bronze🥉 pic.twitter.com/l0nDKs6Yuw

— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) August 27, 2023

These Argentinians are too disciplined, too collective. They know each other too well and their defense is solid. The gap almost rises to 20 points at times, and we end up with 81 to 89 in the final score. That’s three defeats for Team USA in these Olympic Games, more than in their fourteen previous Olympics combined.. The Argentines did it. They beat Team USA in the Olympics.

The Americans will beat the Lithuanians to win the Bronze medal. This time, 24 points from Arvydas Macijauskas, 17 points and 4 assists from Sarunas Jasikevicius, 13 points and 3 assists from Ramunas Siskauskas will not be enough to face Shawn Marion (22 points), Allen Iverson (15 points and 3 assists) , Stephon Marbury (14 points and 5 assists) and Dwyane Wade (9 points and 6 assists). A Bronze medal which sounds like a resounding failure for the Americans. Larry Brown failed to unite his locker room and it was reflected in the players’ statements. Just titled, the Pistons coach, although assisted by Gregg Popovich himself, failed where most have succeeded: winning Gold with Team USA.

“It was just unbearable. Nobody wanted to play for him, the general atmosphere was terrible. But this was the environment he wanted. Misery.” Stephon Marbury

In the Final, the Argentinians, behind Luis Scola (25 points, 11 rebounds) and of course Manu Ginobili (16 points, 6 assists) this time beat Italy and won Gold. Italy was satisfied with second place, its second silver medal in the discipline after 1980. Manu finished the tournament with averages of 19.3 points, 4 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

After his 2003 NBA title, Manu Ginobili became the second player with Bill Bradley to win the EuroLeague, the NBA title and Olympic Gold. Three more times he would win the Larry O’Brien Trophy by playing a role of sixth man which fit him like a glove. But within the international community, Manu will be best remembered as the man who brought down Team USA and its army of NBA stars, almost single-handedly. Four years later, in Beijing, the Redeem Team would avenge this affront, but that… that’s another story.

In 2004, the US Olympic Men’s Basketball team lost the gold and sought redemption in Beijing 2008. @KingJames, @DwyaneWade, and Kobe Bryant led The Redeem Team. This is that story. #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/95MCsOQ6h3

— Netflix (@netflix) September 24, 2022

The 2004 Olympic Games in Athens

• From August 14 to 28, 2004
• Sports Hall of the Helliniko Olympic Complex, Olympic Gymnasium of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex
• 12 Men’s teams / 12 Women’s teams
• Gold – Argentina / United States
• Silver – Italy / Australia
• Bronze – United States / Russia

Image source: FIBA