1960 United States Olympic Team

The 1960 United States Olympic basketball team is widely considered the greatest amateur basketball team ever assembled. Led by head coach Pete Newell, and fortified by the stellar play of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry Lucas, the US squad cruised to the gold medal in Rome going 8-0 against the rest of the world. The Americans dominated like never before topping the 100-point mark on five occasions while holding their opponents to under 60 in four games. Five players averaged double figures in points, paced by Robertson and Lucas at 17 per game. That all added up to an average margin of victory of better than 40 points per contest, extending America’s winning streak to 36 straight games in Olympic competition. The gold medal round saw the US dominate Brazil, 90-63, and signified the fifth gold medal for the Americans since basketball was added to the Olympic slate in 1936. The 1960 roster featured ten future NBA players including four consecutive Rookie of the Year honorees and three members of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time.