{"history":[],"article":{"id":"16b9f490-d4ce-40fb-9df8-cc20201af35d","title":"Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament","slug":"basketball-at-the-2008-summer-olympics-men-s-tournament","content":":::summary\n![basketball tournament](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Olympic///rings///without///rims.svg)\n**Size:** 150 \n**City:** [Beijing](https://bliptext.com/articles/beijing) \n**Country:** [China](https://bliptext.com/articles/china) \n**Dates:** 10 – 24 August \n**Num Teams:** 12 \n**Confederations:** 5 \n**Venues:** [Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium](https://bliptext.com/articles/wukesong-arena) \n**Champion Other:** 🇺🇸 [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/2008-united-states-men-s-olympic-basketball-team) \n**Count:** 13 \n**Second:** ESP \n**Third:** ARG \n**Fourth:** LTU \n**Games:** 38 \n**Top Scorer:** [🇪🇸](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain) [Pau Gasol](https://bliptext.com/articles/pau-gasol) · (19.6 [points per game](https://bliptext.com/articles/points-per-game)) \n**Prevseason:** [Athens 2004](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball-at-the-2004-summer-olympics-men-s-tournament) \n**Nextseason:** [London 2012](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball-at-the-2012-summer-olympics-men-s-tournament) \n:::\n\n# \nThe men's **[basketball tournament](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball-at-the-summer-olympics)** at the **[2008 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2008-summer-olympics)** in [Beijing](https://bliptext.com/articles/beijing), began on 10 August and ended on 24 August, when the [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-men-s-national-basketball-team) defeated [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain-men-s-national-basketball-team) 118–107 for the gold medal.\nAll games were held at the [Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium](https://bliptext.com/articles/wukesong-arena).\nThe [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-men-s-national-basketball-team), nicknamed the \"[Redeem Team](https://bliptext.com/articles/2008-united-states-men-s-olympic-basketball-team)\", defeated [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain-men-s-national-basketball-team) in the gold medal game, finishing the tournament undefeated and winning the gold medal for the first time since [2000](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball-at-the-2000-summer-olympics-men-s-tournament), while [Argentina](https://bliptext.com/articles/argentina-men-s-national-basketball-team), the defending Olympic champions who lost to the U.S. in the semifinals, won the bronze medal.\n\n# Qualification\n\n# Format\nTies are broken via the following the criteria, with the first option used first, all the way down to the last option:\nAll times are local [Beijing Time](https://bliptext.com/articles/beijing-time) (UTC+8).\n\n# Squads\n\n# Preliminary round\nAll times are [China Standard Time](https://bliptext.com/articles/china-standard-time) ([UTC+8](https://bliptext.com/articles/utc-8))\n\n## Group A\n

\n\n## Group B\n

\n\n# Knockout round\n

\n\n## Quarterfinals\n

\n\n## Semifinals\n

\n\n## Bronze medal match\n

\n\n## Gold medal match\n

\nThe Americans got off to a slow start with the Spaniards hitting seven of their first nine shots; if not for a 10–0 run by [LeBron James](https://bliptext.com/articles/lebron-james) and [Dwyane Wade](https://bliptext.com/articles/dwyane-wade), the Americans would have trailed in the first quarter.\nWith the USA leading by 14, Spain chipped away at the lead during the second quarter to cut the deficit to eight points.\nThe teams traded baskets in the third quarter, with Spain cutting the deficit further to seven.\nA [three-point field goal](https://bliptext.com/articles/three-point-field-goal) by [Rudy Fernández](https://bliptext.com/articles/rudy-fern-ndez-basketball) cut the lead into two, the smallest deficit with 8:13 left in the fourth.\n[Kobe Bryant](https://bliptext.com/articles/kobe-bryant) and Wade extended the lead with three-pointers to 103–92 but Spain had a final push, capped with another three-pointer from [Carlos Jiménez](https://bliptext.com/articles/carlos-jim-nez) to reduce the lead to 108–104.\nIn the final two minutes a three-pointer by Dwyane Wade and a Kobe Bryant field goal extended the lead back to 9.\nIt is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball games ever played.\n\n# Awards\n\n# Statistical leaders\nTop ten in points, rebounds and assists, and top 5 in steals and blocks.\n\n## Points\n\n## Rebounds\n\n## Assists\n\n## Steals\n\n## Blocks\n\n## Game highs\n\n# Final standings\nRankings are determined by:\n# [Competing teams. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Olympics///basketball///2008///men.png]","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-26T10:45:42.270Z","updated_at":"2025-01-26T10:45:42.270Z","search_vector":"'2008':4 'basketbal':1 'men':7 'olymp':6 'summer':5 'tournament':9","search_content":" \n \n**Size:** 150 \n**City:** [Beijing](https://bliptext.com/articles/beijing) \n**Country:** [China](https://bliptext.com/articles/china) \n**Dates:** 10 – 24 August \n**Num Teams:** 12 \n**Confederations:** 5 \n**Venues:** [Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium](https://bliptext.com/articles/wukesong-arena) \n**Champion Other:** 🇺🇸 [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/2008-united-states-men-s-olympic-basketball-team) \n**Count:** 13 \n**Second:** ESP \n**Third:** ARG \n**Fourth:** LTU \n**Games:** 38 \n**Top Scorer:** [🇪🇸](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain) [Pau Gasol](https://bliptext.com/articles/pau-gasol) · (19.6 [points per game](https://bliptext.com/articles/points-per-game)) \n**Prevseason:** [Athens 2004](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball-at-the-2004-summer-olympics-men-s-tournament) \n**Nextseason:** [London 2012](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball-at-the-2012-summer-olympics-men-s-tournament) \n \n\n# \nThe men's **[basketball tournament](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball-at-the-summer-olympics)** at the **[2008 Summer Olympics](https://bliptext.com/articles/2008-summer-olympics)** in [Beijing](https://bliptext.com/articles/beijing), began on 10 August and ended on 24 August, when the [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-men-s-national-basketball-team) defeated [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain-men-s-national-basketball-team) 118–107 for the gold medal.\nAll games were held at the [Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium](https://bliptext.com/articles/wukesong-arena).\nThe [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states-men-s-national-basketball-team), nicknamed the \"[Redeem Team](https://bliptext.com/articles/2008-united-states-men-s-olympic-basketball-team)\", defeated [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain-men-s-national-basketball-team) in the gold medal game, finishing the tournament undefeated and winning the gold medal for the first time since [2000](https://bliptext.com/articles/basketball-at-the-2000-summer-olympics-men-s-tournament), while [Argentina](https://bliptext.com/articles/argentina-men-s-national-basketball-team), the defending Olympic champions who lost to the U.S. in the semifinals, won the bronze medal.\n\n# Qualification\n\n# Format\nTies are broken via the following the criteria, with the first option used first, all the way down to the last option:\nAll times are local [Beijing Time](https://bliptext.com/articles/beijing-time) (UTC+8).\n\n# Squads\n\n# Preliminary round\nAll times are [China Standard Time](https://bliptext.com/articles/china-standard-time) ([UTC+8](https://bliptext.com/articles/utc-8))\n\n## Group A\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n## Group B\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n# Knockout round\n \n\n## Quarterfinals\n \n \n \n \n\n## Semifinals\n \n \n\n## Bronze medal match\n \n\n## Gold medal match\n \n \nThe Americans got off to a slow start with the Spaniards hitting seven of their first nine shots; if not for a 10–0 run by [LeBron James](https://bliptext.com/articles/lebron-james) and [Dwyane Wade](https://bliptext.com/articles/dwyane-wade), the Americans would have trailed in the first quarter.\nWith the USA leading by 14, Spain chipped away at the lead during the second quarter to cut the deficit to eight points.\nThe teams traded baskets in the third quarter, with Spain cutting the deficit further to seven.\nA [three-point field goal](https://bliptext.com/articles/three-point-field-goal) by [Rudy Fernández](https://bliptext.com/articles/rudy-fern-ndez-basketball) cut the lead into two, the smallest deficit with 8:13 left in the fourth.\n[Kobe Bryant](https://bliptext.com/articles/kobe-bryant) and Wade extended the lead with three-pointers to 103–92 but Spain had a final push, capped with another three-pointer from [Carlos Jiménez](https://bliptext.com/articles/carlos-jim-nez) to reduce the lead to 108–104.\nIn the final two minutes a three-pointer by Dwyane Wade and a Kobe Bryant field goal extended the lead back to 9.\nIt is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball games ever played.\n\n# Awards\n\n# Statistical leaders\nTop ten in points, rebounds and assists, and top 5 in steals and blocks.\n\n## Points\n\n## Rebounds\n\n## Assists\n\n## Steals\n\n## Blocks\n\n## Game highs\n\n# Final standings\nRankings are determined by:\n# [Competing teams. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Olympics///basketball///2008///men.png]","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}

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