Philadelphia 76ers legend and 2001 MVP Allen Iverson broke a range of positive records during his career. However, he is also the holder of a rather unfortunate record alongside San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan. Unlike his idol Michael Jordan, Iverson is the only NBA MVP alongside Tim Duncan to have never won a gold medal for Team USA, according to a recent post on the r/NBA subreddit.
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Back in 1989, FIBA finally allowed professional players to compete in international tournaments. Since then, no American NBA MVP won the gold medal for Team USA at either the Olympics or the FIBA World Cup. Iverson was part of Team USA’s 2004 Olympics roster but had to be content with merely a bronze medal.
Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan are the only American NBA MVPs to not win an International Gold Medal
Team USA at the 2004 Olympics had a range of young stars to boot alongside Iverson and Tim Duncan. The likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade also traveled to Athens for the tournament.
However, a lack of chemistry in defense, some sketchy team selection, and poor shooting from the 3-point zone resulted in a mixed tournament. Team USA registered only their third loss in Olympic history against Puerto Rico in the semis.
The tournament and the lack of a gold medal for Duncan or Iverson meant that the two held a unique record. Tim Duncan was the NBA MVP in 2002 and 03, apart from winning the title in 2003.
Still, the two players never won a gold medal for their nation, while the likes of Stephen Curry and Derrick Rose won gold medals at the FIBA World Cups. They are the only two among the remaining MVPs to have not won a gold medal at the Olympics.
Since FIBA allowed professional players to compete in 1989, the only American NBA MVPs to never capture an Olympic or FIBA World Cup Gold Medal are Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan
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Apart from the above, other NBA MVPs who never won a gold medal for their nation include the likes of Steve Nash, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Dirk Nowitzki. Of course, both Jokic and Giannis might still end their careers with a gold medal.
Richard Jefferson explained the problems with the Team USA roster at the 2004 Olympics
Richard Jefferson went on to win an NBA title alongside LeBron James. However, his first experience of playing alongside James was not a fruitful one.
Recently during a podcast appearance, Jefferson explained that Team USA’s struggles were deep-rooted. A range of American players had said no to traveling for the tournament.
This led to the selection of a young roster that had the talent but not the experience. Jefferson explained that he himself became a starter on the team after previously being a player who was not selected for Team USA.
