The Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012
Every player who has made it to the NBA is obviously skilled and great at the game, but there are some that put up an outstanding performance at one point, in our case the 2012 Olympics.
The men's basketball tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London started on July 29 and ended on August 12 with the United States defeating Spain 107–100 to win gold.
The O2 Arena (renamed North Greenwich Arena due to the IOC's no-commercialization policy) hosted all preliminary games, while the knockout matches were staged at the Basketball Arena within the Olympic Park.
Twelve eligible nations were divided into two groups of six teams each.
The top four teams in the standings advanced to the knockout stage, which was a single-elimination tournament.
The gold medal was up for grabs for the semifinal winners, while the bronze was up for grabs for the losers.
In our recent writings, we have also given out lots of info about NBA players in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which you can check out in
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The Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012 Displaying Their True Potential
Here are NBA Players at Olympics 2012 we thought had the best performance during the event, using Bleacherreport and other sources for this particular ranking.
Leandro Barbosa, Brazil
Leandro Mateus Barbosa (born November 28, 1982), better known as Leandrinho Barbosa, is a retired professional basketball player from Brazil who now works as a player mentor coach for the NBA's Golden State Warriors (NBA).
He was also a member of Brazil's senior national basketball squad. With the Suns in 2007, he received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, and with Golden State in 2015, he won the NBA Championship.
In Brazil, he is known as "Leandrinho" ("Little Leandro"), while in the United States, he is known as "The Brazilian Blur," a reference to his playing pace.
Barbosa was a part of the senior Brazilian national basketball squad for a long period.
Leandrinho competed in the 2002 FIBA World Cup, 2003 FIBA AmeriCup, 2005 FIBA AmeriCup, 2006 FIBA World Cup, 2007 FIBA AmeriCup, 2009 FIBA AmeriCup, 2010 FIBA World Cup, 2012 Summer Olympics, 2014 FIBA World Cup, and 2016 Summer Olympics for Brazil.
He led the 2007 FIBA AmeriCup in scoring. Barbosa confirmed his retirement from professional basketball on September 14, 2020.
His former team, the Golden State Warriors, hired him as a player mentor coach on the same day. He is one of the Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012.
Tyson Chandler, USA
Tyson Cleotis Chandler (born October 2, 1982) is an unrestricted free agent who most recently played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Chandler was picked by the Los Angeles Clippers as the second overall choice in the 2001 NBA draft straight out of high school, then traded to the Chicago Bulls shortly after.
He's also played for the Charlotte Bobcats, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Tyson was a key part of Dallas' first NBA title in 2011 as the team's starting center.
Three times he has been chosen to the NBA All-Defensive Team. Chandler was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 while playing for New York, and he was also named to the All-NBA Third Team.
With the US national team, he won gold medals at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Chandler was a member of the United States national team that competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a first alternative.
Dallas Mavericks' professional was a member of the United States team that won the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship after going 9–0 in the competition.
It was the first world championship for the United States since 1994. He was one of the good
NBA Players at Olympics 2012
.
Serge Ibaka, Spain
Serge Jonas Ibaka Ngobila (born September 18, 1989) is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers (NBA).
Ibaka was selected as the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draught by the Oklahoma City Thunder's former incarnation, the Seattle SuperSonics.
He has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times and has twice led the league in blocks.
Despite being born in the Republic of the Congo, Ibaka is a member of Spain's national team.
As a member of the Toronto Raptors, he won his first NBA championship in 2019.
The Los Angeles Clippers professional represented the Republic of Congo at the youth level.
He led all players in scoring and rebounds at the 2006 FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship in Durban, averaging 18.6 points and 13.8 rebounds.
Years later, the basketball player showed interest in playing for the Spanish national team. On July 15, 2011, he was finally given Spanish citizenship after years of staying in the country.
His squad won the Eurobasket 2011 gold medal, defeating France in the final by a score of 98–85.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal with Spain, therefore becoming one of the Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012.
Nicolas Batum, France
Nicolas Batum (born December 14, 1988) is a French professional basketball player who most recently played for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers (NBA).
Batum signed with the Los Angeles Clippers on December 1, 2020, after clearing waivers.
He scored 21 points and got six rebounds in a loss against the Brooklyn Nets.
One of the NBA players in the 2012 London Olympics, Batum was a member of the senior men's French national basketball team.
Batum hit Spanish player Juan Carlos Navarro in the groin late in a 66–59 quarterfinal loss to Spain.
After the game, He said, "I wanted to give him a good reason to flop."
The NBA player later apologized on Twitter, writing, "I showed a bad image of France and myself. Congrats to team Spain."
Batum was a member of the French national team that finished third in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, making them the first French team to win a medal in the competition.
He averaged 31.0 points in the final two games and was chosen to the all-tournament team as a result.
Luol Deng, Great Britain
Luol Ajou Deng OBE (born 16 April 1985) is a former professional basketball player of South Sudanese and British descent.
In 2012, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team after becoming a two-time NBA All-Star.
Deng was born in what is now South Sudan, but he and his family fled the nation as children, eventually settling in the United Kingdom.
He became a British citizen in 2006 and has represented the United Kingdom at the international level.
The retired NBA player was an ambassador for the London 2012 Summer Olympics and a member of the England Under-16 and Under-19 teams.
He was called up to play in European competition for the Great Britain squad after becoming a naturalized British citizen in a ceremony in Croydon in October 2006.
On August 9, 2007, he made his international test debut against Georgia at Pau, France, scoring 19 points.
Deng had 21 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks in his first competitive qualification game for Great Britain against Slovakia on August 21, 2007, in Birmingham's National Indoor Arena.
During the 2012 Summer Olympics, he averaged 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game with the team.
Great Britain, on the other hand, concluded with a 1–4 record. Obviously, he would be listed in our
2012 Olympic basketball Power Rankings
.
Andre Iguodala, USA
Andre Tyler Iguodala (born January 28, 1984) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the Miami Heat (NBA).
The swingman was chosen to the NBA All-Defensive Team twice and was an NBA All-Star in 2012.
With the Golden State Warriors, he won three NBA championships and was voted NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2015.
He also represented the United States at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning gold medals on both occasions.
Iguodala was a member of the United States national team that won the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
The Miami Heat player showed off his athleticism at the FIBA World Championships with a series of fast-break dunks.
Iguodala was also chosen for the 2012 Olympic team in London, owing to his outstanding defensive abilities.
He was one of the Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012. In a 107–100 victory over Spain, he assisted Team USA to capture the gold medal.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski compared Iguodala's game to that of Scottie Pippen, describing him as one of the team's greatest players.
In 2002, The professional NBA basketball player earned a bronze medal with the United States in the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship.
Marc Gasol, Spain
Marc Gasol Saez (born January 29, 1985) is a Spanish professional basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA.
He was selected as the 48th overall by the Lakers in the NBA draft in 2007. He joined the Memphis Grizzlies after having his rights traded to them in a deal that brought his older brother Pau to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2008.
Marc remained with the squad until being traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2019, where he earned his first NBA title.
He is a two-time NBA All-Star, a three-time NBA All-Star, and a two-time NBA champion. He was selected NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.
Gasol was picked to play for the Spanish national squad in 2006 for the FIBA World Championship in Japan, replacing NBA draftee Fran Vazquez.
Spain went on to win gold medals in both the Olympics and EuroBasket 2009. At the EuroBasket 2007, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won silver medals.
At the 2019 FIBA World Championship in China, he earned his second world championship with the Spanish squad.
One of the NBA Players at Olympics 2012, he also won the gold medal at the EuroBasket in 2009, as well as bronze medals at the EuroBaskets in 2013 and 2017.
James Harden, USA
James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an NBA basketball player who currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association.
He is one of the NBA's most efficient scorers and has been dubbed the league's best shooting guard as well as one of the league's best overall players.
James was one of
the Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012
.
He rejected a contract extension offer from the Thunder, who traded him to the Houston Rockets before the 2012–13 season because he was unhappy with his position behind squad stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
In his first season with the team, he set a number of team records and was named to his first All-NBA Team (third team) as well as his first NBA All-Star game.
Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a four-team transaction at the start of the 2020–21 season.
The NBA great performer was selected to play in his ninth consecutive All-Star game with the Nets.
He was a member of the United States national team that won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, as well as the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup-winning team.
James was a member of the 2016 Olympic team, however, he dropped out.
Luis Scola, Argentina
Luis Alberto Scola Balvoa (born April 30, 1980) is an Argentine basketball player who currently plays for the Pallacanestro Varese of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A.
He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after signing with the Houston Rockets in 2007. He was a three-time All-EuroLeague selection with Tau Ceramica.
Luis later played in the National Basketball Association with the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets (NBA).
Scola has been a regular member of Argentina's national basketball team since 1999, winning a gold team medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a bronze team medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He was one of the NBA players in the 2012 London Olympics.
During the 2010 FIBA World Cup, Scola broke two Argentina national team records: top overall scorer for Argentina at a World Cup (beating Ernesto Gehrmann's 331 points) and most points scored for Argentina in one game at a World Cup (scoring 37 against Brazil in the round of 16, beating Alberto Desimone's 35 points against Mexico in 1963).
In 2019, at the age of 39, the Argentinian was a member of the Pan American Games gold-medal winning team.
In seven games en route to the final of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, he scored 135 points and grabbed 57 rebounds.
Kevin Love, USA
Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA).
He is a five-time All-Star who led the Cavaliers to the NBA title in 2016. At the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Summer Olympics, he was a part of the gold-medal-winning United States national team.
Love was a top-ranked talent out of Lake Oswego High School in Oregon, the son of former NBA player Stan Love.
He played one season of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, leading them to the 2008 NCAA Tournament Final Four.
Kevin was a member of the United States national team that won the 2010 FIBA World Championship gold medal. On July 7, 2012, Love was named to the 2012 Olympic team.
The team was unbeaten and won the gold medal over Spain, who came in second. He was one of the Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012.
The Cavaliers brilliant was also chosen for the 2020 Olympic squad in Tokyo, which has been postponed until 2021(now) due to the COVID-19 epidemic, but he withdrew after the third exhibition game, claiming he was still recovering from a right calf injury that kept him out for the majority of the 2020–21 season.
Russell Westbrook, USA
Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for the Washington Wizards (NBA).
He is a nine-time NBA All-Star who won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2016–17.
Russell has also been named to the NBA All-Star Team nine times, led the league in scoring in 2014–15 and 2016–17, and won the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award back-to-back in 2015 and 2016.
With 42 triple-doubles in a season, he also set a new record. The following two seasons, he averaged a triple-double, led the league in assists, and became the first player to lead the league in both points and assists in consecutive seasons.
For his great performance, the Washington Wizards Point guard has been included in the 2012 Olympic basketball Power Rankings.
Westbrook was a member of the UCLA Bruins in college and was named to the Pac-10 third-team all-conference team.
The Seattle SuperSonics selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, and the team relocated to Oklahoma City the following week.
Before continuing, don't forget to have a look at the articles we have been giving out about Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Pau Gasol, Spain
Pau Gasol Saez (born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish basketball player who currently plays for FC Barcelona in the Liga ACB and EuroLeague.
He has been named to the NBA All-Star squad six times and to the All-NBA team four times, twice on the second team and twice on the third team.
Gasol has two NBA championships to his credit, both with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
The Spanish was the first non-American player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2002 with the Memphis Grizzlies. Marc Gasol, a fellow NBA player, is his older brother.
He also won silver medals at the EuroBasket in 2003 and 2007, as well as the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012.
The FC Barcelona Power forward was also the highest-scoring player at the 2004 Summer Olympics and served as Spain's flag bearer at the 2012 Summer Olympics, substituting Rafael Nadal, who was injured.
Gasol was named to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup All-Tournament Team 2014. He is one of the Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012.
Manu Ginobili, Argentina
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginobili (born July 28, 1977) is a former professional basketball player from Argentina.
He was one of only two players (together with Bill Bradley) to win a EuroLeague title, an NBA championship, and an Olympic gold medal in his 23-season professional career.
Ginobili, a four-time NBA champion, spent his entire NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs.
The retired Shooting guard was recognized as one of the "Big Three" with Spurs teammates Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
Ginobili's Argentina won the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics basketball competition, despite the fact that the shooting guard was injured in the semifinals and did not play in that game.
He announced in April 2010 that he would not compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship due to family obligations.
He did, however, play for Argentina in the bronze medal game against Russia at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, where Argentina nearly lost out on a medal.
The Argentinian participated in his final international games at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where Argentina came in eighth place.
He was one of the pretty good
NBA players in the 2012 London Olympics
.
Deron Williams, USA
Deron Michael Williams (born June 26, 1984) is a former professional basketball player from the United States.
He was picked third overall in the 2005 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz after playing college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
During the 2011 NBA lockout, the three-time NBA All-Star also played for Besiktas of the Turkish Basketball League and was a gold medalist for the United States national team at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2002, Williams was a member of the United States U18 squad that won bronze in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
He was named to the USA men's basketball team's 19-man roster for the 2012 Summer Olympics in January 2012.
One of the Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012 made the final roster in the end. With a score of 107-100, the team won the gold medal for the second consecutive Olympics, defeating Spain.
Williams won his second Olympic gold medal with an average of 9.0 points per game and 4.6 assists during the Olympics.
Carmelo Anthony, USA
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.
Carmelo 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 has represented the United States in the Olympics four times, winning a bronze medal with the 2004 team and gold medals with 2008, 2012, and 2016 teams.
He was the all-time leader in points, rebounds, and games played for the United States Olympic team as of April 2016.
One of NBA's bests, along with LeBron James, competed in the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
He joined James and David Robinson (1988, 1992, 1996) as the only American basketball players to play in three Olympiads (2004, 2008, 2012).
Looking at his fabulous career, he had to be in our 2012 Olympic basketball Power Rankings.
Tony Parker, France
William Anthony Parker Jr. (born May 17, 1982) is a former professional basketball player from France who is now the primary owner of ASVEL Basket in the LNB Pro A.
Parker, the son of a professional basketball player, spent two years with Paris Basket Racing in the French basketball league before joining the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs (NBA).
The Spurs selected him as the 28th overall choice in the 2001 NBA draft, and he swiftly established himself as the team's main point guard. Parker won four NBA titles, all with the Spurs (in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014).
Parker has been selected for six NBA All-Star games, three All-NBA Second Teams, and one All-NBA Third Team.
He also won the NBA Finals MVP award in 2007. In game 2 of the 2017 playoffs, he suffered a catastrophic injury to his left quadriceps tendon, which ended his season.
The San Antonio Spurs point guard was awarded MVP of EuroBasket 2013 while playing for the French national team, following his side's victory over Lithuania in the final.
With an average of 19 points per game, he finished as the tournament's best scorer.
The former professional became the all-time leading scorer in EuroBasket competition in 2015, a record that was broken two years later by Pau Gasol. Parker was one of the Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012.
Chris Paul, USA
Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), better known by his nickname "CP3," is an NBA professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns (NBA).
He has earned the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, two Olympic gold medals, and has led the NBA in assists four times and steals a record six times while playing point guard.
In addition, he has been named to eleven NBA All-Star teams, ten All-NBA teams, and nine NBA All-Defensive teams.
At the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, Paul made his debut for the United States national team.
The NBA legend finished the competition with a tournament-high 44 assists, aiding Team USA to a bronze medal.
He was a crucial contributor off the bench at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, scoring 13 points in a gold medal game triumph over Spain.
Team USA went undefeated in the competition, finishing 8–0.
One of the very bests, christopher was moved to starting point guard for the 2012 Olympics in London, where he averaged 8.2 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game en route to another gold medal and an undefeated tournament.
Kobe Bryant, USA
Kobe Bean Bryant (August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an NBA basketball player in the United States.
He played shooting guard with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association for his entire 20-year career (NBA).
Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.
The NBA shooting guard was widely recognized as one of the best basketball players of all time.
He has also twice led the NBA in scoring and is fourth all-time in the regular season and postseason scoring in the league.
For the 2012 Summer Olympics, Bryant returned to the national squad. Bryant announced his retirement from the team after winning another gold medal.
He concluded his national team career with a 26-0 record, winning gold medals in all three competitions. He was one of
the
Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012.
Kevin Durant, USA
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 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.
The NBA Small forward 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 agent that summer after suffering an Achilles injury in the 2019 finals.
Durant set the record for most points scored in an Olympic basketball competition at the 2012 Olympics.
The international regular helped the national team go unbeaten en route to a gold medal, averaging 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
He scored 30 points in the tournament's final game, leading all scorers.
Durant revealed 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.
One of Brooklyn Nets's finests, Kevin was a member of Team USA's 2016 Olympic team, where he led them to a gold medal.
LeBron James, USA
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (born December 30, 1984) is an NBA basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.
In disputes about who is the greatest basketball player of all time, James is usually compared to Michael Jordan, who is widely regarded as one of the best players in NBA history.
James has appeared in 10 NBA Finals, eight of them consecutively with the Heat and the Cavaliers from 2011 to 2018.
He is the only player to have won NBA championships with three teams (the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers) as NBA Finals MVP.
The NBA true current legend did not compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, but he returned to Team USA for the London Olympics in 2012. With Bryant, who would soon be 34, stepping aside, he became the team's leader.
He became the first player in US history to record a triple-double in a game against Australia. With 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists, he made Olympic basketball history. After defeating Spain in the final game, Team USA won their second gold medal in a row.
In the triumph, James scored 19 points, becoming the all-time leading scorer in U.S men's basketball history.
The Los Angeles Lakers best Small forward is also one of the only two players to win an NBA MVP award, an NBA championship, an NBA Finals MVP, and an Olympic gold medal in the same year, joining Michael Jordan.
Afterwards, Krzyzewski said, “James is the best player, he is the best leader and he is as smart as anybody playing the game right now." He was definitely one of
the
Best NBA Players at Olympics 2012.
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