Since its first inclusion at the 1936 Games in Berlin, men's basketball at the Olympics has been dominated by the United States.
The sport looked very different 85 years ago than it does today. In the gold medal game in 1936, the U.S. defeated Canada, 19–8, and scored a combined 44 points in the final and semifinal. That kicked off a run of supremacy that spanned the better part of the 20th century.
From 1936 to 1968, the U.S. won gold in seven consecutive Games. In total, the Americans have won gold 15 times out of 19 tournaments.