Top 10 all-time best national teams

You can change your favorite players, you can change your favorite franchise, you can even change your favorite club. However, you cannot change your favorite national team. Nothing makes our orange planet tremble more than international basketball. When the World Cup or the Olympics are in full swing, it is no longer just a fanbase, but an entire nation that pushes its players to victory.

Let’s take a look back at the greatest teams in this very special sphere with a Top 10 list based on the following criteria: foundation, place in the collective memory, scale of achievement (if any), level of talent, and track record.

10) Lithuania 🇱🇹 1992-2000 : No one knows Lithuania better than basketball fans. This small Baltic country has a long history of love for the orange ball. It is by far the smallest country on this list. Yet this little David has been a real nightmare for all the Goliaths of the world. It is worth noting that, at the end of the millennium, Lithuanians performed better at the Olympic Games than at EuroBasket or the World Cup. Built around the legendary Arvydas Sabonis, this team showed exceptional consistency at the highest level. The result? Three bronze medals in its first three Olympic Games! Freshly independent, the Baltic giants impressed in the group stage. And after a heavy defeat to Michael Jordan’s Dream Team, they faced the unified team of the former USSR. It was a highly symbolic encounter, with Marčiulionis’ teammates emerging victorious. And that was one down! The European runners-up did it again in the summer of 1996. However, the first round was much less impressive. Lithuania stumbled twice but got back on their feet at the best possible moment against Greece in the quarterfinals. Although the Yugoslavians were simply too strong, the team relied on Sabonis’ 30 points to defeat Australia in the third-place game. And then there were two! Never two without three, the Lithuanians rebuilt a new squad. The red and green next generation ultimately had a similar journey to their predecessors: a lackluster group stage, a surprise in the quarterfinals against their 1996 Yugoslavian nemesis, then elimination by yet another US Dream Team. Then, as usual, they pulled off a huge game to win the bronze medal. The most admirable of the losers are just ahead of our 2011-2014 French team. Without any medals, however, it is impossible to aim higher.

9) Brazil 🇧🇷 1959–1963 : The Seleção isn’t just about soccer. While Pelé, Garrincha, Didi, Vavá, and Zito were dominating the soccer field, their counterparts in basketball were doing just as well. Apart from the US and Soviet giants, Brazil in the late 1950s and early 1960s was the first great dynasty in international basketball, well ahead of the Europeans. And yet, it was far from a foregone conclusion. Already at the end of World War II, the basketball world revolved around a country whose name could be summed up in three letters: U.S.A.! The world and Olympic champions approached the 1959 World Cup as the overwhelming favorites. In Chile, Uncle Sam cruised through the first round… as did Brazil, which, to everyone’s surprise, knocked out the USSR. Led by the future MVP of the competition, Amaury Pasos, the Brazilians kept the dream alive in the final phase, conceding only one narrow defeat to the Soviet giants, while the United States lost twice. This team, made up of players from Corinthians, Palmeiras and Flamengo, became world champions. They repeated the feat four years later on home soil. Carried by a Maracanãzinho stadium in a frenzy throughout the fortnight, Kanela’s men rolled over the competition thanks to their fast and spectacular team play. However, the absence of the Olympic Games in this story proved fatal for them.

8) Yugoslavia 🔴🔵 1998–2002 : Before completely collapsing, Yugoslavia was a powerhouse in international basketball, almost on par with the USSR. However, in the aftermath of the first uprising in 1992 and the suspensions that followed, the Balkan team no longer struck fear into the hearts of the world. At least, that’s what everyone thought. The team, made up of what is now Serbia and Montenegro, gave the Old Continent its first warning by winning back-to-back EuroBasket titles (1995 and 1997). It was a warning before the red and blue wave swept across the globe, with Dejan Bodirog as captain. First, at the 1998 World Cup, the Yugoslavians took advantage of the NBA lockout. The United States had no choice but to send a W team, as the USSR no longer existed… In short, the competition was more open than ever. Solid throughout the first phase, the Plavi encountered their first major obstacle in the semi-finals against the Greek hosts, whom they defeated in overtime. It was a narrow victory, as was the case in the final, where they beat the mighty Russia by just two points (64-62). Yugoslavia therefore entered the 2002 World Cup as reigning world champions. In the meantime, Predrag Stojaković and Vlade Divac had also won a silver medal at EuroBasket. Except that this time, nothing went right. A disastrous first round ended with Team USA in third place going into the quarterfinals. Trailing by 10 points as crunch time approached, they pulled off a stunning comeback. The same scenario played out against New Zealand in the semifinals, then against Argentina in the final. But once again, their Olympic failure prevented them from making the cut.

7) The Avengers 🇺🇸 2024 : To all our Frenchies, close your eyes and skip this paragraph. Yes, we’re going to talk about the Avengers of 2024. About that team led by Stephen Curry in demon mode, who still haunts us to this day. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Back to the summer of 2024. For what will surely be his last Olympics, LeBron James called on all his friends to come with him and defend the US colors in Paris. The result: 32 years later, we were treated to a Dream Team 2.0 nicknamed the “Avengers.” And in this case, it was a good choice. Just think, the three-time NBA champion head coach, Steve Kerr, had to give crumbs to Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum. That’s saying something! When the starting five includes Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis (in top form), Anthony Edwards, and so on. But what does that mean on the court? Everyone quickly realized that these were surely the most competitive Games in history. Well, not for Team USA, which rolled over the competition until the final four. For several long minutes, spectators thought they were witnessing one of the biggest disasters our sport has ever seen. The United States didn’t just lose to Serbia and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. No, they were trailing by 17 points! This team of champions finally managed to rally at the last minute to clinch their ticket to the final in a nail-biting finish. Another incredible performance against France. Led into crunch time by Wemby’s teammates, Stephen Curry conjured up one of the most spectacular finishes ever seen, with shots that seemed to come straight from Jupiter. And, symbolically, the King won the MVP award (even though we all know Curry deserved it more). It was the kind of American storytelling we love, albeit lacking in terms of dominance.

6) Yugoslavia 🇷🇸🇲🇪 1976-1980 : The name is similar, but the composition is completely different. During this period, Yugoslavia included not one, but six countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. And with the Cold War in full swing, this team was the only one to make a name for itself among the American and Soviet giants. Better still, the late 1980s belonged to Yugoslavia! Although soundly defeated in the final of the 1976 Olympics by the untouchable Team USA, this team from the Balkans learned a lot. A lesson that Aleksandar Nikolić’s men would recite beautifully during the 8th Basketball World Cup held in the Philippines. This “golden generation,” as it would later be nicknamed, was not content with just winning the World Cup. No, Dražen Dalipagić, Dragan Kićanović, and Ratko Radovanović rolled over the competition. And the “competition” included the local Philippine team, Italy, the United States, of course, and above all the USSR, which they defeated by a narrow margin (82-81) in overtime. And this after scoring more than 100 points in the first round. With momentum on their side, Yugoslavia entered the 1980 Olympics as favorites. The reason? Because the competition was being held in Moscow, some 60 nations decided to boycott the Olympics, including the United States. But nothing was a sure thing ! Because to defeat the USSR on its home turf, you have to do it. The eagerly awaited final between the two Eastern powers took place. As two years earlier, the outcome of the match was decided in overtime. And as two years earlier, the Plavi came out on top, winning more comfortably (101-91). At the time, they were undoubtedly considered the fastest, most technical, and most cohesive team the international scene had ever seen. Nevertheless, even if it was beyond their control, the absence of the American superpower inevitably detracted somewhat from the prestige of this Olympic gold medal. Furthermore, this failure at EuroBasket contrasts with the exceptional consistency of our fifth-place finishers.

5) Spain 🇪🇸 2006-2012 : For six years, every time Spain took part in a competition, it won a medal (and not just bronze). These crazy years began in 2006 at the World Championships. Led by the Gasol brothers, who were present throughout this period of domination, La Roja made history with an impressive 9 out of 9. Much like in soccer, this team relied on precise ball movement. In an extremely close semifinal (75-74), they defeated the Argentine Olympic champions, then in the final, the Serbs were no match for the Iberian armada. The following year was almost as impressive. Well, “almost” because Spain came within a hair’s breadth of winning both the World Cup and EuroBasket (losing 59-60 to Russia). Pepu Hernandez and Juan Navarro continued their journey at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Facing an XXL Team USA (it’s no coincidence that we haven’t mentioned them yet), Aíto García Reneses’ team stood up to Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade, who eventually won the game (118-107). At 17, Ricky Rubio became the youngest medalist in the sport. Although the head coach changed with the appointment of Sergio Scariolo, this golden generation continued to write its name in gold letters in the FIBA basketball record books. Despite a shaky start, La Roja finally found its rhythm and achieved back-to-back World Cup victories following another win over Serbia (85-63). In 2011, Spain did not miss out on the double this time, crushing France in the EuroBasket final (98-85). But as in 2008, the Iberian team failed to defeat the United States in the final of the London Olympics. This was a fateful missed opportunity to break into the elite Top 4.

4) URSS 🔴 1972–1974 : Let’s open this controversial chapter entitled: the 1972 Olympic final. Still considered one of the greatest games in the history of our sport, this episode marks the pinnacle of Soviet basketball. During the Cold War, sport was one of the main fronts on which the United States and the USSR fought a merciless war. The Summer Olympics were the culmination of this rivalry. Every confrontation, every medal, every victory was a way to shine on the international stage and show the world that one’s ideology was superior. It is through this lens that we must view this match. Both Team USA and Team USSR lived up to expectations by crushing the competition until this final game. The game was extremely close. The red team led for most of the game, but Doug Collins closed the gap in the final seconds. This was followed by a series of increasingly bizarre refereeing decisions, and on their third attempt, the Soviets scored a decisive basket through Aleksandr Belov (51-50). It was a huge achievement! In eight editions, this was the first time that a team had beaten the United States. They repeated the feat at the 1974 World Cup. Fresh from winning bronze at EuroBasket 1973, the USSR came close to a 100-point lead in the group stage against the Central African Republic (140-48). Admittedly, the Yugoslavian world champions caused a sensation in the main round against the Soviets. But in the end, the trophy ended up in Moscow, thanks in particular to another victory against Team USA (105-94). Ahead of this exceptional generation are three teams that are slightly more dominant and, above all, more iconic.

3) The Redeem Team 🇺🇸 2008-2012 🥉 : The United States had not gotten over the affront of 2004. Stung by Manu Ginobili’s Argentine fervor, the US flag was determined to restore its reputation in Beijing. And as we know, when Team USA wants to win a competition at all costs, it gives itself the means to do so. Here’s a small sample: LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams, Dwight Howard… In short, a pretty nice roster. But nothing is a foregone conclusion. World champions Spain are at their peak, Argentina is Argentina, France is gaining momentum, and Lithuania is as unpredictable as ever in knockout games. With an average margin of victory of 30 points in all their games leading up to the final, the United States put the debate to rest. And in the final, the Spanish held out for one half before letting the Americans pull away (118-107). This team was not just a collection of big names, as the 2024 Avengers were rightly criticized for being. They had that little bit of extra desire that made all the difference. In fact, if the formula worked so well, what’s to stop them from using it again at the London Olympics? Bingo! Add Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, and Andrew Iguodala, and you’re good to go. The “Redeem Team” is ready to take on the world. Except that, as in 2008, the competition is tougher: Andrei Kirilenko’s Russia, Parker’s France, Lithuania as consistent as ever, Australia with the Mills-Ingles duo, Ginobili’s Argentina and, of course, Spain! Still playing flawlessly, the King’s team beat Australia in the quarterfinals and Argentina in the semifinals. The final was a rematch of 2008. However, La Roja was more mature, and it showed on the court. The Spanish even took the lead in the middle of the third quarter. Led by Kobe’s 17 points, the US ultimately emerged victorious from this duel (107-100), which was the closest since 1972.

2) Argentina 🇦🇷 2004 🥈 : 2) Argentina 🇦🇷 2004 🥈: This is undoubtedly THE greatest achievement of all time in international basketball. The most visionary players could nevertheless have detected the few clues left by Argentina in the years leading up to the 2004 Olympics. Undisputed South American champions, Pepe Sanchez’s teammates also came within a hair’s breadth of the world title in 2002. Our sport is cruel, and despite having defeated Germany, the United States, and Russia, they fell in the final against Yugoslavia (77-84). Arriving in good form for these Olympics in Greece, the Albiceleste came very close to disaster during the first round. Defeated in quick succession by Spain and Italy, the Argentinians had to face Greece in the quarterfinals. Trailing at halftime, Argentina had already pulled off a minor upset by managing to turn the game around in the fourth quarter (64-69). The problem: Team USA awaited them in the semifinals. Since 1992, when NBA stars were allowed to compete in the tournament, no one had managed to knock them out. Not even Spain in the quarterfinals. At the same time, it’s understandable. Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, LeBron James (he really is everywhere), and Kobe Bryant. Superstars galore, whose sole objective is to follow in the footsteps of their peers. However, that night, Argentina showed the world that the United States was beatable. Led by Manu Ginobili’s 29 points, this sky-blue team controlled the game. First, second, and even third quarters! The underdogs didn’t crumble as the minutes ticked by, as is often the case when playing against Team USA. The overwhelming favorites came back in the fourth quarter, but it was too late. Sixteen years later, the US were eliminated from the Olympics. This feat is all the more impressive given that from 1992 to today—a span of 32 years—only one team has managed to knock out Uncle Sam: Argentina. What followed was a dominant final against Italy (84-69). For the first time in history—men’s and women’s combined—a South American team won Olympic gold. Words cannot describe this achievement by our runners-up. But here we’re talking about the best teams, not the most inspiring stories.

1) Dream Team 🇺🇸 1992 🥇 : The Dream Team lives up to its name. In an era when basketball wasn’t as international as it is today, 99.99% of the star players came from across the Atlantic. But until then, the United States only sent college players to the Olympic windows. It wasn’t until the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that NBA players finally had the opportunity to compete in the Games. While this did benefit Croatia with Dražen Petrović and Lithuania with Arvydas Sabonis, let’s be honest: Team USA benefited the most from this new rule. The stars certainly didn’t hold back. Chuck Daly—incidentally a two-time NBA champion—could count on Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson… in his quest for Olympic gold. The names speak for themselves. Today, that would be like fielding a team composed of SGA, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, and Luka Doncic. Yes, it’s utter nonsense. The photo, the jersey, everything instantly becomes part of history. But we know the equation: the sum of stars doesn’t necessarily translate into a trophy. So maybe? Spoiler alert: it didn’t happen here. It even seemed difficult to imagine the extent to which these 12 players would dominate the competition. From their opening match against Croatia to their final… against Croatia, the Dream Team consistently smashed the 100-point mark, averaging a 44-point lead! 122-81 here, 127-76 there (we’re talking about the semifinals). At this point, calling them completely dominant would be an understatement. It was a recital, an absolute massacre. They ticked all the boxes. Dethroning our GOAT of the day seems very difficult, if not impossible.