The U.S. men's basketball team, also known as the Dream Team, began its overwhelming dominance of Olympic basketball with a gold medal at Barcelona 1992; a feat it would repeat at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
While the U.S. Dream Team dominated international basketball, another team was slowly gaining recognition: Argentina. Despite not having an outstanding track record in the sport, a group led by Manu Ginóbili, Fabricio Oberto and Luis Scola began to stand out worldwide.
By 2001, most of the Argentine players had already emigrated or were about to do so to compete in other leagues, especially in Europe. This change was a determining factor for the national team, as it allowed them to gain valuable experience at the club level and develop additional skills that they could then apply to the national team.
Argentina's first big surprise came at the 2002 FIBA World Cup. Larry Brown, former U.S. coach, recalls: "We were more familiar with European teams. But Argentina... We had no idea about them! Argentina is known for soccer.
However, at that moment, Argentina made it clear that it was much more than just soccer, showing a level of play unprecedented in its history. The team won the silver medal, revealing their potential to the world stage. They also made history by defeating the United States in the preliminary round, marking the first time a team defeated a U.S. team composed entirely of NBA players.
In the final of that World Cup, Argentina lost to Yugoslavia in overtime. Although they came close to winning the gold and did not, this experience provided them with a fundamental learning experience for the future.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Argentina would find the opportunity to heal those past wounds. In its first game, the team faced Serbia and Montenegro, having the chance to avenge the defeat suffered in the 2002 World Cup final against Yugoslavia, which at the time included Serbia and Montenegro within its territory.
In a thrilling game, Argentina pulled out a one-point victory, secured with a last-second basket by Manu Ginóbili. This moment was recognized by Ginóbili as the most important of his career on a number of subsequent occasions.
However, the preliminary phase did not prove to be an easy road for Argentina, which suffered defeats to Spain and Italy. Despite this, wins over the Republic of China and New Zealand ensured them a place in the quarterfinals as the third best team in their group.
In the quarterfinals, Argentina faced Greece, the home team backed by an entire nation. However, home field advantage was not enough to stop Argentina, which advanced to the semifinals.
The words echoed in the Argentine locker room after beating Greece: "Tomorrow we are going to beat the United States! However, the idea of beating the United States seemed more like a dream than a reality. Although Argentina had defeated the United States in the World Cup two years earlier, no medals were at stake on that occasion, and it was not the Olympic Games. Moreover, in the Olympic qualifiers, the U.S. had already beaten Argentina 106-73, making few confident that Argentina could repeat its 2002 heroics against an all-star team featuring the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.
However, there was a glimmer of hope. In Athens, it proved that the United States was not invincible, as Team USA was defeated by another Latin American team, Puerto Rico (90-71). This was the first time a team composed solely of NBA players had lost in the Olympics.
Finally, in that same edition, the Dream Team failed to win gold, something that had not happened since 1992. Although they had basketball giants on their team, their opponent in the semifinals, Argentina, had an even more powerful factor in their favor: desire.
Argentina cruised to an 89-81 victory, with Manu Ginóbili again the hero as he scored a game-high 29 points.
Although this victory over the United States was the most significant in Argentina's history, the team still had to face the final. And this time, they did not fail. They soundly defeated Italy 84-69 to secure the gold medal.
After winning the gold medal in Athens 2004, basketball has become one of the most popular sports in Argentina. Since then, the country has invested in infrastructure and projects to further promote the sport nationwide.
This fact clearly demonstrates that Argentina's greatest basketball triumph is still remembered by everyone in the country. It is so memorable that at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, a mural was created in honor of this achievement in the Olympic Village.
