Basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics was the eighteenth appearance of the sport of basketball as an official Olympic medal event. It was held from 28 July to 12 August 2012. The preliminary matches and the women's quarterfinal matches were played in the new Basketball Arena in Olympic Park, which seated up to 12,000 spectators. The men's knockout games and the women's games, from semifinals onward were played in the North Greenwich Arena.
Image: Basket Ball at the O2 Arena
Image: London Olympics 2012 Basketball Arena
The men's national basketball team of the United States won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Defending the gold medal won by the 2008 team in the previous Olympic Games, the Americans qualified for the 2012 Games after winning the 2010 FIBA World Championship. The Olympic team lost some players to injuries who might have made the team, and appeared to be short on big men. Their roster featured five players returning from the 2008 Olympic team and five others from the 2010 World Championship.
The 2012 team practicing in Washington, D.C.
LeBron James assumed leadership of Team USA in 2012.
Kevin Love had nine rebounds in the gold medal game.
Tyson Chandler was the only 7-foot (2.1 m) player on the 2012 team