Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid, Spain • August 30-September 14, 2014

The road to the 2014 FIBA World Cup gold medal was no easy journey, as the U.S. had to overcome several significant obstacles. But in the end, the USA, led by National team managing director Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski, bested all comers and compiled a 9-0 record to claim the World Cup gold medal and earn the United States its first back-to-back World titles.

Outscoring its nine opponents by 33.0 points per game, the largest by a U.S. men’s team in a FIBA World Cup or Olympic Games since the 1994 World Championship, the USA effort featured seven players averaging between 9.6 and 14.2 points a game. The USA was led in scoring by six different players in its nine games.

Kyrie Irving was selected World Cup MVP and was joined on the five-member All-World Cup Team by teammate Kenneth Faried. 

Playing its preliminary round games in Bilbao, Spain, the USA opened against Finland and playing in front of its huge fan-base, the U.S. held the Finns to 0-for-17 shooting and outscored them 29-2 in the second quarter to power to 114-55 victory. The 59-point win was the USA’s largest margin of victory in FIBA World Cup play since NBA players have been included on rosters (1994). Klay Thompson scored a team-high 18 points, and Anthony Davis added 17. The USA trailed 2010 World Championship silver medalist Turkey by five points at halftime, but U.S. big men Davis and Faried stepped up and combined for 33 points in the second half to propel the USA to a 98-77 win. Faried finished with 22 points, shooting 11-of-14 from the field, and Davis scored all 19 of his points in the second half and made 8-of-11 shots.

The USA’s winning ways continued as the U.S. knocked off New Zealand 98-71 and the USA’s balanced attack was led by Davis’ 21 points and nine rebounds. The USA remained unbeaten and earned the No. 1 seed for Group C with a 106-71 win over Dominican Republic. Leading from start to finish, Faried led the USA with 16 points, DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points. The USA wrapped up its preliminary-round play with a 95-71 win against Ukraine as James Harden scored 17 points to lead six U.S. players in double-figures. 

Moving on to Barcelona and the Round of 16, led by 20 points from Stephen Curry, who tallied 11-straight points in the third quarter and shot 6-of-9 from 3-point for the game, the USA advanced into the 2014 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals with a dominating 86-63 win over Mexico.

Facing Slovenia three days later, while the U.S. lead was just 49-42 at the midway point of the quarterfinals game, the second half was all USA. Riding a game-changing 37-22 third quarter, the Americans pulled away for a convincing 119-76 win. The win advanced the USA team into the semifinals of the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Thompson, who made 4-of-8 from 3-point shots, led six U.S. players in double-figure scoring with 20 points, while 12 of Harden’s 14 points came in the third quarter.

For a second consecutive game, a second-half run sealed a must-win contest for the USA as it rallied behind a 33-14 third quarter scoring advantage to secure a 96-68 victory over Lithuania. The win earned the USA the right to play in the gold medal game. Irving led the USA with 18 points and four assists; while Harden scored all 16 of his points in the third quarter; Thompson added 16 points; and Curry finished with 13 points.

Led by 26 points from tournament MVP Irving and 23 points from Harden, the USA saved its best performance of the World Cup for the gold medal clash as the Americans captured a second-consecutive FIBA World Cup gold medal with a blistering 129-92 win over Serbia in Madrid. Irving shot a USA World Cup record  6-of-6 from 3-point, Harden was 3-of-5 from 3-point, and the USA as a whole finished the game shooting 45-of-78 from the field (.577), and 15-of-30 from 3-point (.500). Eight U.S. players reached double-figure scoring. Faried recorded 12 points and seven rebounds, Thompson tossed in 12 points; Cousins contributed 11 points and nine rebounds; Rudy Gay added 11 points; while Curry and DeMar DeRozan scored 10 points apiece.

2014 USA MEN'S WORLD CUP ROSTER

2014 USA MEN'S WORLD CUP TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS