| Head coach | Hank Iba |
|---|---|
| 1972 Summer Olympics |  |
| Scoring leader |  Tom Henderson / Dwight Jones 9.2 |
| Rebounding leader | Dwight Jones 5.7 |
The 1972 United States men's Olympic basketball team represented the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Led by Tom Henderson and Dwight Jones, the team would go on to win the silver medal. In the final game of the Olympics, Team USA controversially lost for the first time in Summer Olympic Games competition, and ended their 63-game winning streak (the streak began in the 1936 Summer Olympics). The Soviet team that defeated the Americans featured international veterans, who had been playing together for years in their domestic pro league and international tournaments, while the American team was barred from sending NBA players, and used collegians instead.[1][2][3][4]
- ^ "The Role of Sports in the Soviet Union | Guided History".
- ^ Hubbard, Jan (April 8, 2020). "The Vote That Cleared the Way for NBA Players to Play in FIBA Competitions". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ "Federation Rule Change Opens Olympics to N.B.A. Players". The New York Times. April 8, 1989. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "History of basketball at Olympics: A tale of American domination".