Today was Memorial Day, so it only felt right to write about Syracuse basketball’s ties to Team USA. SU has only had three players and one coach ever represent America in the Olympics. So, who were each of them, and what impact did they have on the team?
Carmelo Anthony
While being one of if not the best players in Syracuse history, Anthony played four separate Olympics spanning from 2004 to 2016. In that time, he won three gold and one bronze medal. The Baltimore native started his Olympic career slowly, scoring only 17 points in seven contests in the 2004 Summer Games. In 2008 though, Anthony started to heat up putting up 92 points and winning a gold medal. That good play on the global stage continued in London in 2012. Anthony was the second leading scorer on the team with 16.1 points per game en route to a second gold medal. In his last Olympics four years later in Rio de Janeiro, the forward averaged just over 12 points a matchup capturing his third career gold medal. Anthony is by far the most talented player to be selected for the Team USA squad from Syracuse.
Jim Boeheim
While Anthony was the most talented player to represent Syracuse for Team USA, Jim Boeheim was the most talented coach from the 315 for Team USA. In each of the three gold medals that Anthony won, Boeheim was also crowned a champion. The coaching legend served as an assistant coach under arch-rival and friend Coach Krzyzewski from Duke. The winningest coach in Big East history also captured two FIBA world gold medals in his time with the national team. Boeheim’s influence on Team USA in the Olympics cannot be understated. The coaching partnership of Boeheim and Coach K on the national stage lives on forever.
Michael Gbinije
Gbinije played on the Nigerian national team in the 2016 Olympics. The guard had 25 points over seven games, with the Nigerian squad falling to earn a medal.
Jerami Grant
The most recent player to feature for SU on the Olympic stage, Grant played three games for Team USA in 2021. The forward had just four points but ended up winning a gold medal with the squad.
