Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016

2016 United States men's Olympic basketball team won the gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

By winning the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014, they qualified for the Olympics outright. Mike Krzyzewski of Duke University coached the team, with Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks, and Monty Williams as assistant coaches (Phoenix Suns).

Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony, the new team captain, were the only two remaining players from the 2012 Olympic gold-medal winning squad.

The 12-man US team opened their exhibition schedule against Argentina, the 2004 Olympic champion. They also faced China, the 2015 FIBA Asia winner, and Venezuela, the 2015 FIBA Americas champion.

Nigeria, the 2015 FIBA Africa champion, finished the program in Houston. The US Olympic Committee used Houston as a departure point for many Olympic teams, supplying them with credentials and provisions on their way to Brazil.

Listing the Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016

Here it is, a list of the best players in the USA basketball team 2016 Olympics based on their total points earned and a short explanation for each.

Kyle Lowry (40 Points)

Kyle Terrell Lowry (born March 25, 1986) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the Toronto Raptors (NBA). He was a six-time NBA All-Star with the Raptors and was chosen to the All-NBA Third Team in 2016.

Lowry led Toronto to their first NBA championship in franchise history in 2019. He was a participant of the

2016 USA Olympic basketball team roster

who won the gold medal.

He played two seasons of college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats before being picked in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 24th overall choice.

Before being moved to Toronto, he began his NBA career with Memphis and the Houston Rockets. He assisted the Raptors to make it to the playoffs for the first time in seven years and win the Atlantic Division title in his second season with the team in 2013–14.

In 2015–16, he helped the Raptors to 56 victories, the most in franchise history, and he also helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time.

The great Basketball player was a part of the United States men's national team that won gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics, averaging 5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. With 9 points in the semifinal game versus Spain, he had his greatest scoring performance.

During the tournament, he was praised for his defense and leadership, with head coach Mike Krzyzewski referring to him as the team's "unsung hero" and assistant coach Jim Boeheim describing him as "the best team player out of everybody".

The Point guard is definitely one of the Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016.

Jimmy Butler (45 Points)

Jimmy Butler III (born September 14, 1989) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the Miami Heat (NBA) and he is one of the Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016.

He transferred to Marquette University after one year of college basketball at Tyler Junior College. The Chicago Bulls selected him with the 30th overall choice in the 2011 NBA draft.

Butler, dubbed "Jimmy Buckets," is a five-time NBA All-Star, four-time All-NBA Team winner, and five-time NBA All-Defensive Team choice. He was voted the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2015.

The NBA professional signed with the Miami Heat on July 6, 2019, as part of a four-team trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler was selected Eastern Conference Player of the Week on December 9, 2019, after averaging 27.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game.

He had a career-high 18 rebounds, 20 points, and 11 assists in a 135–121 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks on December 10. Butler was named to his fifth NBA All-Star Game on January 30.

Butler scored 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists in Game 3 of the 2020 NBA Finals, becoming the third player in Finals history to accomplish a 40-point triple-double, after LeBron James (then with Cleveland) in 2015 and Jerry West (then with the Los Angeles Lakers) in 1969.

The Small forward's 10th career triple-double came against the Houston Rockets on February 11, 2021, when he had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Heat's 101–94 victory. No surprise he managed to become a fixture in the 2016 United States men's Olympic basketball team.

DeMar DeRozan (46 Points)

DeMar Darnell DeRozan (born August 7, 1989) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the San Antonio Spurs (NBA). He was drafted ninth overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors after playing college basketball for the USC Trojans.

He is a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time member of the All-NBA Team. Before being transferred to the Spurs in the summer of 2018, he spent nine seasons with the Raptors, including five playoff appearances.

DeRozan has participated in the 2014 World Cup and was part of the USA basketball team 2016 Olympics.

The Shooting guard was traded to the San Antonio Spurs on July 18, 2018, along with Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft, for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

The trade was controversial because DeRozan was a fan favorite in Toronto, and Raptors president Masai Ujiri had not been informed about the move previously.

However, DeRozan wasn't a strong playoff performer, and selling away DeRozan's hefty contract freed up considerable salary budget room.

The NBA player was part of the United States national squad that won the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup gold medal. He averaged 4.8 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game in nine appearances.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he made his second appearance for Team USA. In seven games for Team USA, DeRozan averaged 6.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists, aiding them to win the Olympic gold medal, the reason he managed to become one of the

Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016

.

DeAndre Jordan (59 Points)

Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an NBA professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets (NBA) and one of the Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016.

He played one season of college basketball for Texas A&M University before being chosen in the second round of the 2008 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 35th overall pick.

Jordan is a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, as well as a two-time league rebounding leader. For the first time, he was chosen an NBA All-Star in 2017. Jordan holds the NBA record for best career field goal percentage with 67.20 percent as of May 2020.

The NBA professional was a participant in the

2016 United States men's Olympic basketball team

.

Jordan signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks on July 6, 2018. Jordan had three straight double-doubles to start the season, becoming the first Dallas player to do so since Popeye Jones did it in 1994.

In a 113–104 defeat to the Utah Jazz on October 28, he had 12 points, 19 rebounds, and a career-high nine assists, giving him his sixth double-double in six games to begin the season.

He had 11 points and 12 rebounds in a 117–102 defeat to the Jazz on November 7, setting a franchise record by earning at least 10 rebounds for the 11th consecutive game.

The Brooklyn Nets' best asset signed a four-year, $40 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets on July 6, 2019.

Jordan revealed on June 29, 2020, that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and had decided not to play in the season's reopening.

Klay Thompson (79 Points)

Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the Golden State Warriors (NBA).

He is widely considered to be one of the best shooters in NBA history. He is a three-time NBA champion, a five-time NBA All-Star, and a two-time All-NBA Third Team honoree He was also chosen to be the NBA's Second All-Defensive Team.

The fabulous Shooting guard was one of the Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016.

Thompson is the son of Mychal Thompson, a former NBA player. He was a two-time first-team all-conference pick in the Pac-10 while playing college basketball for the Washington State Cougars (now Pac-12).

Golden State selected him with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft. Thompson and teammate Stephen Curry set an NBA record with 484 three-pointers combined in a season in 2014, giving them the nickname "the Splash Brothers."

Thompson was a significant player in the Warriors' 2017 and 2018 championships, as well as helping them win their first NBA title since 1975.

In-Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and he missed the whole 2019–20 season.

He was a member of the

USA basketball team 2016 Olympics

that won gold medals and also got first place at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

At the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, he was a member of the Under-19 national team that won gold.

Paul George (90 Points)

Clifton, Paul Anthony George (born May 2, 1990) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the Los Angeles Clippers (NBA).

He is a seven-time NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA Team member, as well as a four-time NBA All-Defensive Team member, and is known as "PG13." He is one of the

Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016

.

George was a member of the Knight High School basketball team before going on to play two seasons of college basketball for the Fresno State Bulldogs.

The Indiana Pacers selected him with the 10th overall choice in the 2010 NBA draft, and he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

He was named the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2013, the same year he was named to his first All-Star pick. In 2014, while competing for a spot on the United States national team for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, George broke his leg.

The American small forward was out for the majority of the 2014–15 season but returned in 2016 to become a part of the 2016 USA Olympic basketball team roster as an All-Star and win an Olympic gold medal.

In 2017, he was transferred to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he spent two seasons before being sent to the Clippers in 2019.

George signed a four-year, $190 million contract extension with the Clippers on December 10, 2020.

The seven-time NBA All-Star produced 33 points, 26 of which came in the second half, to lead the Clippers to a 116–109 season-opening win over the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers on December 22.

Kyrie Irving (91 Points)

Kyrie Andrew Irving (born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Brooklyn Nets (NBA).

After being selected with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was named Rookie of the Year.

He won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016 as a seven-time All-Star and a three-time member of the All-NBA Team.

Irving was a candidate for a spot on Australia's Olympic team in 2012. He chose not to represent his birth country, instead, he chose to concentrate on selection for the United States national team for the 2016 Olympic Games.

He became one of the Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016.

Brooklyn Nets professional played for the United States national team in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was named the tournament's MVP after assisting Team USA in winning the gold medal.

He started all nine tournament games, averaging 12.1 points and 3.6 assists per game, including 26 points in the gold-medal game. He was later named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year in 2014.

The American NBA player was a key member of Team USA's gold-medal superb performance at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

With the win, he joined LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen as the only members of Team USA to win both the NBA title and an Olympic gold medal in the same year.

Carmelo Anthony (97 Points)

Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the Portland Trail Blazers (NBA).

He has been an NBA All-Star ten times and a member of the All-NBA Team six times. He was a member of the Syracuse Orange basketball team, where he won a national title as a freshman in 2003 and was voted the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Anthony was a player in the 2016 USA Olympic basketball team roster for the fourth time, a record for a US male basketball player, shattering the previous mark of three Olympiads, which he shared with James and Robinson.

Team USA won the gold medal in the championship game, defeating Serbia 96–66, and Anthony became the first player in US men's basketball history to earn three gold medals.

The Power forward scored a game-high 31 points in 35 minutes during the team's 98–88 victory over Australia, relying on 11–21 field goal shooting, including 9–15 from three-point range. He is one of the Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016.

He became Team USA's leading scorer with 31 points in the game, beating James' previous mark of 273 points.

The NBA small forward was also the first American player to score 30 points or more in two Olympic Games.

Anthony got seven rebounds in the gold medal game against Serbia to end with 125 total rebounds in US Olympic history, passing Robinson as the all-time leader in rebounding for Team USA. 

In summary, Anthony finishes his Olympic career as the first man to win three gold medals, as well as the lifetime leader in scoring, rebounding, and games played with 31, making him the most decorated Olympian in USA basketball history.

He averaged 12.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.6 steals per game during the 2016 Rio Olympics, thanks to 39 percent field goal shooting (33/84), 40 percent from three-point range (18/45), and 62 percent free throws (13/21).

The legend was named co-USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (together with Kevin Durant) for the third time in his career in appreciation of his performances and achievements in the tournament.

Anthony plays small forward, but he also has the ability to play power forward. With his ability to take over any game on the offensive end, his scoring power is regarded as his strongest asset;

he shares the NBA record for second-most points scored in a quarter with 33 and holds the New York Knicks single-game franchise scoring record with 62.

The NBA fantastic is known for being a consistent scorer who uses a range of sophisticated scoring maneuvers.

He has the strength and agility to be an instant and consistent scoring threat in the post, standing 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) and weighing 238 pounds (108 kg).

Kevin Durant (155 Points)

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), popularly known by his initials KD, is an NBA basketball player who currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He is one of the

Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016

.

One of the NBA's bests was the second overall choice in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics after one season of college basketball at the University of Texas.

Kevin spent nine seasons with the team, which changed its name to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, until joining the Golden State Warriors in 2016, where he won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.

He signed with the Nets as a free agency that summer after suffering an Achilles injury in the 2019 finals. He has often been called one of the greatest active players in the NBA.

Durant was invited to the United States national team training camp in February 2007. Despite a great showing,

The 2.08 m NBA legend was dropped from the team when the roster was reduced to a maximum of twelve players. Coach Mike Krzyzewski acknowledged the remaining players' experience as the deciding factor in their selection.

Durant was ultimately named to the national squad for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, and he took over as the team's leader while other All-Stars were absent, a role he downplayed.

He led Team USA to their first FIBA World Championship since 1994 during the event, receiving tournament MVP awards in the process.

One of the Brooklyn Nets finests, kevin announced his withdrawal from the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup less than a month before the tournament began, claiming mental and physical tiredness as the reason for his exit.

He was a member of Team USA's 2016 Olympic team, where he led them to a gold medal, becoming one of the Best USA Men's Basketball Players of Olympics 2016.

Durant was named the 2016 co-USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, along with Carmelo Anthony, for the second time in his career, in honor of his accomplishments.

The NBA and international champion has agreed to play on the 2020 Olympic squad, which has been postponed until 2021 (now at the time of writing) due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

He entered the Games as the second-highest scorer in US men's Olympic basketball history, with 311 points to Anthony's 336.

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