Ranking the U.S. Olympic teams of the NBA era

The 2016 men's edition of Team USA hasn't inspired much excitement. Part of that, of course, is the result of what happens when one country dominates a sport for so long. Since NBA players were first permitted to compete in the Summer Games in 1992, the United States has failed to win gold only once.

It's a different level of competition, and one that will keep changing as more countries slowly catch up with American talent (looking at you Australia - and Canada, if you can ever get your act together).

This summer's squad is by no means bulletproof, as their laissez-faire approach on defense indicates. In taking on Spain - their closest competitor of the past decade - in Friday's semi, there remains a risk of losing that would easily drop them to the bottom of seven U.S. Olympic entries during the NBA era.

Here are the other six:

6. 2004

By default, the worst team the United States has sent to the Games in the last quarter-century. A gold medal in men's basketball is an American birthright, so taking bronze, as this squad did, was not a moral victory.

Despite its star power, the team was poorly constructed for the international game, highlighted by Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury alongside then-youngsters LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Having Larry Brown oversee the team reeked of name recognition rather than any semblance of system coaching.

The abject failure of this squad did two positive things, however. It introduced the world to the golden generation of Argentina (Manu Ginobili and company won gold in Athens), and it forced USA Basketball to take the Olympic/World Cup program more seriously. Mike Krzyzewski was brought in as coach, and the organization began requiring a time commitment from players.

5. 2000

Vince Carter's infamous dunk over France's Frederic Weis will still be remembered decades from now, but this gold-medal team was far from America's best. Thrice in the tournament, competition played them within 10 points - something unheard of during the previous decade.

4. 2012

The London squad got scares from Lithuania and Spain, but still finished the tournament with a point differential of more than 32. It was also a team that seamlessly crossed NBA generations (James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook).

3. 1996

There is no debating the collection of talent on this squad that was called the "Second Dream Team." Ten Hall of Famers, including Shaquille O'Neal and Reggie Miller in their primes, and five members of the original Dream Team. The only thing that detracts from '96 is that the international competition was not particularly strong - which is why they are edged out by the 2008 team.

2. 2008 - The Redeem Team

Using the disaster of 2004 as motivation, USA Basketball fielded the best possible team in Beijing - even if eight years later, you realize Deron Williams was on the squad. Bryant and James were at their peak, combining for over 30 points per game on 53 percent shooting in the tournament. They also beat tough competition handily, topping Argentina by 20 in the semis and Spain by 11 in the gold-medal game.

1. 1992 - The Dream Team

It's impossible to top the granddaddy of them all, even if true competition was sparse. The 1992 team was such a force, it's credited with exploding the growth of basketball and the NBA all over the world.

Eleven of the dozen players on the roster are now in the Hall of Fame, and it would have been 12 if Isiah Thomas wasn't frozen out, or if USA Basketball had chosen the more deserving college player in O'Neal over Christian Laettner.

The closest contests they played were against Croatia - 33- and 32-point wins, respectively - en route to an eight-game point differential of almost 44. Charles Barkley led the way with 18 points per game on 71 percent shooting.