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The top to bottom competitive Olympic basketball tournament FIBA envisioned for a future Olympics after rules were changed in 1989 to allow players from the NBA to play in international competitions, occurred in 2004 at the Athens Olympic Games.

The Olympic basketball competition and the prestigious Olympic gold medal, once the sole property of the U.S. men's teams which had claimed gold in 12 of the 14 previous Olympic basketball competitions they had competed in between 1936 and 2000, was up for grabs in 2004. And as predicted, the Olympic men's basketball competition in 2004 was indeed the most competitive and unpredictable ever.

How competitive were the 2004 Olympics?

For just the second time in the 16 Olympics basketball competitions, no team made it through the schedule without a loss. The only other time that happened was 1988 when the Soviets and U.S. each had a single loss.

The American team was beaten three times. In turn, the U.S. defeated both preliminary group No. 1 seeds, handing Spain its only loss of the Games and knocking off Lithuania in the bronze medal game. World power and 2002 World Champion Serbia and Montenegro failed to make it to the medal round and finished 11th after suffering four narrow losses, and even Olympic gold medalist Argentina fell twice in preliminary play, losing 87-76 to Spain and 76-75 to Italy.

One theme that became clear early and remained true throughout the ‘04 Olympic men's basketball competition was bring your "A" game or face certain defeat.

The globalization of basketball that was sparked with the USA "Dream Team's" gold medal performance in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, came full circle and the Olympic spotlight no longer shines on just the American hoop stars.

In Athens in 2004 the world focused not only the moves of NBA stars Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs), Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers), and the other U.S. team members, but also international stars like Emanuel Ginobeli and Luis Scola of Argentina, Spain's Pau Gasol, 7-6 Yao Ming of China, guards Gianluca Basile and Massimo Bulleri of Italy, sharpshooters Arvydas Macijauskas and Sarunas Jasikeviciu from Lithuania, Puerto Rico's lightening quick guard Carlos Arroyo, Serbia's veteran star Dejan Bodiroga and others.

In the end, Argentina did what it was unable to do in 2002 at the World Championship where it lost the championship game in overtime. In 2004, Argentina won its first basketball medal ever in the Olympics and made it gold after bettering the U.S. 89-81 in the semifinals, then defeating Italy 84-69 in the gold medal game.

The U.S. squad demonstrated vulnerability to the international style of basketball, but at the same time showed dogged determination to win the bronze medal.

"This was probably the hardest game I have ever been involved with, in terms as a coach," USA head coach Larry Brown said after leading his U.S. squad to a victory over Lithuania in the bronze medal contest. "We are proud of the way they played and how they improved.

"We came back tonight after that loss (to Argentina Friday in the semifinals), with the expectations that people have for us, and to play this game that way tonight is a good thing for American basketball. It showed a lot of class and a lot of character. They have nothing to be ashamed of. This team showed so much character coming under the circumstances, being asked to go late - I think we should be very positive about the commitment they made and the sacrifice they made."

The 2004 USA Team included Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz); Duncan; Iverson; LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Richard Jefferson (New Jersey Nets); Stephon Marbury (New York Knicks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Emeka Okafor (Charlotte Bobcats); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns), and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).

Assisting Brown on the USA bench was San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, and Clemson University (S.C.) head mentor Oliver Purnell and University of North Carolina head coach Roy Williams.

Opening its training July 26, after 15 practices and six exhibition games, the U.S. opened the Olympics against Puerto Rico on Aug. 15. Facing a team they had defeated three times and by an average of 23 points a game in 2003, and a team the U.S. had beaten by 25 (96-71) in Jacksonville 16 days earlier on July 31, 2004, the USA's frigid 34.7 percent shooting from the field spelled trouble as Puerto Rico opened up a 22-point lead at halftime and then fought off every U.S. comeback attempt to earn a decisive 92-73 win. Lost in the loss was Duncan's inspired effort of 15 points, 16 rebounds (11 offensive), five steals, four assists and two blocked shots in 36 minutes.

Regrouping two days later, the USA behind 17 points by Iverson, who was playing with a fractured thumb on his shooting hand, fought off host Greece and its boisterous home crowd 77-71 to get its first win. Continuing preliminary round play on Aug. 19, the U.S. fought tooth-and-nail with Australia for three quarters, then outscored the Aussies 24-12 in the fourth quarter to earn an 89-79 victory and improve to 2-1. USA co-captains Iverson and Duncan paced the U.S. Duncan finished with 18 points on deadly 7-of-11 shooting, and grabbed 11 rebounds, AI added 16 points, while Marion made 8-of-10 shots and scored 16 points also.

Facing unbeaten Lithuania on Aug. 21, a team that had challenged the USA in the 2000 Olympic semifinals before ultimately falling short by two (85-83), the USA led 84-79 with just over three minutes to play, but was unable to hold on as Lithuania made big shot after big shot to rally back for a crushing 94-90 victory. Jefferson led the USA effort accounting for 20 points, while Duncan posted his third double-double in four Olympic games, compiling 16 points (6-7 FGs) and 12 rebounds. Two days later, the U.S. again bounced back from a loss and easily defeated an overmatched Angola squad 89-53 to close out preliminary round play as Duncan recorded a team leading 15 points in just 13 minutes of action.

Finishing preliminary play with a 3-2 record and tied in the preliminary round standings with Puerto Rico and Greece, utilizing the FIBA tie-breaking formula, the U.S. was seeded fourth, meaning it would face the No. 1 seed from Group A in the medal round quarterfinals.

With Olympic medal hopes still alive, the USA took to the court in its quarterfinals match facing the Group A No. 1 seed and 5-0 Spain. The U.S. continued to show improvement and gel as a team, and behind Marbury's U.S. Olympic record 31 points and record six made 3-pointers, the U.S. battled its way to the 102-94 victory. The USA, which struggled much of the tournament with its outside shooting as teams played zoned and packed it in to control the U.S. inside dominance, posted its best shooting night of the Olympics from 3-point and made 12-of-22 shots for a 54.5 percent accuracy from 3-point.

Advancing on to the semifinals and a date with FIBA Americas Zone rival Argentina, the game was an exciting match up between two teams who were familiar with each other. It was essentially the same Argentina team that ended the USA's dominance on the senior level in 2002 at the World Championship, and the same team that was handed a pair of setbacks by the USA at the 2003 Americas Olympic Qualifier, including a lopsided 106-73 win the gold medal clash. With star center Duncan handcuffed with foul trouble most of the game, the U.S. team struggled to find its range from the outside and shot just 41.6 percent from the field and fell 89-81 to Argentina in the Olympic semifinals on Aug. 27. Marbury scored 18 points and Odom finished with 14 points and eight rebounds in the defeat that eliminated the United States from gold medal contention.

Forced to recover from the realization that a gold medal would not be claimed this time around, the U.S. faced a rematch with Lithuania in the bronze medal game on Aug. 28 and played perhaps its most inspired game from start to end.

Despite Lithuania shooting a stunning 21-of-37 (.567) from beyond the 3-point arc, the U.S. went home winners as Marion came off the bench to score 22 points to help guide the Americans to a 104-96 victory and the bronze medal. The USA shot 45.6 percent (36-79 FGs) from the floor and managed to make 8-of-18 (.444) tries beyond the 3-point line, and controlled the glass to the tune of 40-26. Also, the American squad committed only 12 turnovers to Lithuania's 20.

For the Olympics, the U.S. team was paced by Iverson who averaged 13.8 ppg. and 2.5 apg., while Duncan posted 12.9 ppg. and 9.1 rpg., and Marbury added 10.5 ppg. and a team best 3.4 apg. Marion contributed 9.9 ppg. and 5.9 rpg., Odom averaged 9.3 and 5.8 rpg., and Boozer accounted for 7.6 ppg. and 6.1 rpg.

Individually for the Olympics overall, Iverson ranked 12th in scoring and Duncan was 18th. Duncan listed third overall in rebounding, while Boozer and Marion were seventh and eighth respectively, and Odom listed 10th. In offensive rebounds, Duncan ranked No. 1 (4.50 a game) and was sixth in defensive rebounds (4.63 a game), Boozer listed tied for seventh in offensive rebounds (2.37 a game) and listed tied for ninth in defensive rebounds (3.75 a game), Odom was fifth in offensive rebounds (2.50 a game) and Marion listed ninth (2.25 a game). Odom (.569) and Duncan (.567) finished 11th and 12th respectively in field goal percentage, and Marbury ranked sixth in assists and Iverson was tied for 12th. Wade listed second in steals (2.13 spg.), Odom ranked right behind tied for third (2.0 spg.), and Iverson was tied for seventh (1.38 spg.). Duncan ended third in blocked shots (1.25 bpg.), Odom listed 13th (0.63 bpg.), and Stoudemire was tied for 15th (0.50 bpg.). Marbury ranked second in assist-turnover ratio (2.70).

The USA as a team ranked second among the 12 Olympic teams in scoring, averaging 88.1 points a game. Grabbing 38.9 rebounds a game, the U.S. ranked first in rebounding and outrebounded its opponents by an Olympic best margin of 10.8 rpg. (38.9 rpg. to 28.1 rpg.). The U.S. also ranked first in blocked shots (3.75 bpg.), first in assists (15.13 apg.) and steals (10.63 spg.), and ranked second in turnover margin (+3.00).

However, the USA struggled with its shooting. Shooting 45.9 percent overall to rank seventh, the Americans made 31.4 percent of their shots from 3-point and ranked tied for 10th. Defensively, the USA squad allowed its opponents to score 83.5 ppg., which ranked ninth overall. The U.S. ranked 10th in defensive field goal percentage as its opposition shot 48.2 percent from the field overall, and opponents made 44.1 percent from 3-point land to leave the U.S. ranked 12th in defensive 3-point field goal percentage.

The USA set several individual and team records during the ‘04 Games. Marbury's 31 points against Spain set a new USA single game scoring record, replacing the 30 point record set previously by Charles Barkley (versus Brazil, 7/31/92) and Adrian Dantley (versus Yugoslavia, 7/27/76), and Marbury's six made 3-point shots versus Spain broke Reggie Miller's old game record of five (versus China, 7/26/96). Iverson established a new single game mark for 3-point shots attempted, launching 10 versus Puerto Rico to pass Reggie Miller's previous record of eight (versus China,7/26/96), and Duncan's 16 rebounds against Puerto Rico tied the USA single game record of 16 set by Jim Brewer (versus Australia, 9/28/72).

Duncan tied the U.S. mark for most rebounds in an Olympics with 73 (9.1 rpg.), equaling the mark set by Kevin Garnett in 2000. In U.S. career Olympic records, Duncan ranks tied for fifth in rebounds with 73, while Boozer positioned his name 10th (49). Boozer also now lists eighth for field goal percentage (.625), while Odom lists tied for fifth in 3-point percentage (.500). Duncan added his named to the U.S. career blocked shot leaders and ranks fifth (10), while Wade lists tied for 10th for steals (17).

The U.S. also tied a single game record for 3-point shots made in a game after sinking 12 versus Spain, and the ‘04 squad re-wrote the USA record for 3-point shots attempted in an Olympics with 140.

The U.S. men, gold medalists in 12 of the 15 Olympics in which they have participated, own a remarkable 114-5 win-loss record in Olympic play for a striking .958 winning percentage. USA Olympic teams featuring NBA players are now29-3 since making their first appearance at the 1992 Olympics. Since first fielding in 1992 a team of legendary NBA stars, USA Basketball Senior National Teams have competed in nine international basketball competitions and compiled a stellar 74-6 record, and have posted a record of 23-1 in exhibition games.