![source](https://cdn.mashup-web.com/img/sources/clutchpoints-small.png)
Ranking the 10 most explosive Team USA debuts in the Olympics
07/23/2024 01:51 PM
There’s no doubt that Team USA has a deep roster pool of players that it can field in any Olympic Games. In fact, even the first-time Olympians can easily make a splash. Let’s rank the 10 most explosive Team USA debuts in the Olympics.
10. Grant Hill (1996 Atlanta Olympics)
Coming off a productive sophomore season, Grant Hill answered the call of duty at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He averaged 9.7 points per game, which is good for the fifth-leading scorer of the team, to go along with 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Hill had a breakout game against China, scoring 19 points on 71 percent shooting from the field overall before Team USA dominated the competition for gold on their home turf.
9. DeAndre Jordan (2016 Rio Olympics)
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, there was no question that DeAndre Jordan was the perfect fit for Team USA as the main center. His athleticism that he displayed in Lob City could be easily felt in Rio when he started dunking over just about anybody.
He averaged 7.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in his senior national team debut at the Rio Olympics, where USA won gold. He finished with nine points and a tournament-high 16 rebounds against Spain in the semifinals.
8. Damian Lillard (2020 Tokyo Olympics)
A lot of basketball fans were familiar with Dame Time. In his first time suiting up for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Lillard put up 11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per outing despite playing with an abdominal injury.
Although it wasn’t a smooth start that saw them drop the Olympic opener against France, Lillard and Team USA picked up the slack to emerge as gold medalists. Lillard’s best game came against Iran, where he exploded for 21 points, spiked by seven 3-pointers.
7. Jason Kidd (2000 Sydney Olympics)
There’s no question that Jason Kidd was an elite point guard that knows how to put on a passing clinic. With so many great teammates around him for Team USA, it wasn’t surprising that Kidd thrived right from the get-go.
He made his Team USA debut at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he averaged 6.0 points and 5.2 assists per game, highlighted by a solid performance against Russia. Kidd registered 10 points and eight assists in the 15-point win over the Russians. Kidd would go on to finish with two gold medals in two Olympic appearances without a single loss.
6. Paul George (2016 Rio Olympics)
Happy birthday to @Olympics champion Paul George!
Describe him in three words pic.twitter.com/f1J9XosGxK
— FIBA (@FIBA) May 2, 2023
Coming off a gruesome broken leg, there were doubts surrounding Paul George’s NBA career. However, George ultimately put his doubters to sleep when he finally made his debut for Team USA in Rio.
George averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game to help Team USA clinch the gold medal. His best game was against Venezuela, where he led the team with 20 points in 20 minutes of play.
5. Magic Johnson (1992 Barcelona Olympics)
There was no question that Magic Johnson was an untraditional point guard at 6-foot-9. If the NBA couldn’t stop him during his time, the same could be said when he suited up for Team USA at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
As part of the Dream Team, Magic put on a passing clinic against the best countries in the world. With so many offensive weapons to pass to, it was a spectacular sight to see. The former Lakers guard averaged 5.5 assists per game.
4. Karl Malone (1992 Barcelona Olympics)
Speaking of the Dream Team, another key player was Utah Jazz star Karl Malone. Malone averaged 13.0 points per game to become the third-leading scorer of Team USA. In the Olympic opener against Angola, Malone dropped 19 points in only 19 minutes of action on 7-of-10 shooting from the field overall. It was an explosive debut for the two-time NBA MVP.
3. Charles Barkley (1992 Barcelona Olympics)
In relation to the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics, the leading scorer of the squad was Charles Barkley. Despite being undersized, Barkley showcased why he was among the best power forwards in the world.
Barkley led all Team USA scorers with 18.0 points per outing. He perhaps was on a mission after being cut from the 1984 amateur Olympics team. His best game came against Brazil, where he posted 30 points and eight rebounds while missing only two of his 13 attempts from the field.
2. Oscar Robertson (1960 Rome Olympics)
At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Team USA still fielded amateur players. However, it was enough to lead Team USA to the gold thanks to Oscar Robertson.
Robertson was in a class of his own, averaging 17.3 points per game to finish within the top-10 scorers of the Olympics. At the Rome Olympics, Robertson dropped 22 points twice, once against Hungary and the second against Italy to lead Team USA to the gold medal.
1. Michael Jordan (1984 Los Angeles Olympics)
Around the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Team USA had yet to field professional players. As a result, one of their most notable call-ups was then University of North Carolina standout Michael Jordan.
Jordan led the entire USA squad by averaging 17.1 points per game. In the gold-medal game against Spain, Jordan dropped a tournament-high 20 points on 60 percent shooting to earn his first Olympic gold medal.
The post Ranking the 10 most explosive Team USA debuts in the Olympics appeared first on ClutchPoints.