Ranking the 8 best American NBA players to never win a gold medal

We are roughly a week from the beginning of the group stage of men's basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The pool of contestants for the competition is stacked -- every nation feels they're going for gold. Nonetheless, Team USA is heavily favored to emerge as the victor for a fifth consecutive time.

Unofficially nicknamed "The Avengers," Team USA assembled its best squad after a disappointing result at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup last summer. While the red, white and blue will return seven former Olympians, there's a star-studded cast of newcomers, including Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

Curry, one of the most decorated players in NBA history, is making his Olympic debut. Not having a gold medal is the lone blemish on his outstanding résumé, and now he has a prime opportunity to accomplish the feat. 

Nevertheless, Curry isn't the only one. Several prominent American hoopers join the sharpshooter on the list of players to never win a gold medal. Here, we will highlight the eight best of the bunch, featuring the Warriors' franchise icon. 

Ranking the 8 best NBA players to never win a gold medal

8. Bill Walton

The late and great Bill Walton famously declined an invitation to join the 1972 USA unit amid the Vietnam War. That year, the Soviet Union defeated America in what turned out to be one of the most controversial events in Olympic history.

Still, Walton remains the first and only high schooler to make the Senior Men's National Team and play in the World Championship or Olympics.

A Hall of Famer, two-time NBA champion, and former league/Finals MVP, Walton is among the best big men ever. Unfortunately, his career got derailed and eventually cut short due to a concerning foot injury that required several surgeries.

7. Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson was a member of the 2004 USA group, which also happens to be the last time the country didn't win gold. 

Team USA had to settle for a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, squandering Iverson's lone opportunity. With the roster unconventionally carrying three rookies (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade), they lacked experience and pedigree.

Iverson has achieved virtually everything he can as a pro, though he is missing titles on the international and NBA levels. He is an MVP, 11-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion, among other notable accolades.

6. Isiah Thomas

Isiah Thomas' rocky relationship with NBA icon Michael Jordan conceivably contributed to his getting snubbed from the 1992 Olympic "Dream Team." The story is well-documented, and the Detroit Pistons floor general has admitted getting left off the still haunts him.

Thomas led the renowned Pistons "Bad Boys," guiding them to two championships during his 13-year tenure. He and Jordan had many heated battles throughout their careers, with the former holding a slight edge in their head-to-head matchup.

One of the best points guards ever, Thomas was a worthy option to represent America. Alas, he never got a chance.

5. Kawhi Leonard

Los Angeles Clippers star two-way wing Kawhi Leonard had a chance to get off this list in the coming weeks. Sadly, he withdrew from Team USA leading up to the Paris Olympic Games this summer because of injury concerns.

Unavailability is a recurring theme for Leonard. His inability to take the floor consistently has left meat on the bone of an already legendary career.

Leonard is one of three players to win an NBA Finals MVP with multiple franchises, joining elite company (including someone mentioned below).

4. Moses Malone

A three-time MVP and former champion, Moses Malone is one of the Association's all-time great big men. With that in mind, it's shocking he never suited up for the USA Olympic squad.

Malone has averaged as many as 31.1 points and 17.6 rebounds per game in a single season. Yet somehow, he never seemed to merit much consideration to represent America. Perhaps playing in an era filled with dominant centers like Patrick Ewing and David Robinson played a part. 

3. Stephen Curry

Until Team USA stands in the center of the podium in Paris, Curry finds himself high on this list. 

As stated earlier, winning a gold medal is the only thing Curry has yet to achieve on the professional basketball stage. Starting July 27, he will have the chance to get the proverbial monkey off his back.

The best three-point shooter to ever play the game, a four-time champion, two-time MVP and much more, Curry is a unique and transcendent talent.

2. Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain is often commemorated for setting the NBA single-game record for points by scoring 100 against the New York Knicks in 1962. That one outing is a testament to how dominant the seven-footer was throughout his career.

It's hard to understand why or how Chamberlain never had a spot on the Team USA roster. He is among the most esteemed players in the annals of the NBA.  

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

A six-time NBA champion and MVP, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the most successful center ever, even dating back to his collegiate days at UCLA.

Abdul-Jabbar could've joined the 1968 gold medal-winning USA Team, but he elected against it in support of the Negro boycott. As effective as he was on the court, he was even more influential off it. Albeit a tough circumstance, his willingness to stand up for his views hampered his Olympic efforts.