American hoopsters target to extend their record at the Games

An American squad of NBA stars and their Women's NBA counterparts are expected to add more Olympic history to their amazing legacy at Rio.

The US Olympic men, guided for the third and final time by coach Mike Krzyzewski, seek a third consecutive gold medal and the sixth in seven tries since NBA talent debuted on the 1992 Barcelona ‘Dream Team.’

“That Dream Team, I think everyone realises what they did and then moving forward just putting USA back on top. That's where we want to stay,” the United States’ guard Jimmy Butler said.

“That's what everybody's goal in mind is, to never accept defeat, to win gold and that's what everybody is about right now."

The US women have been even more dominating since settling for bronze at Barcelona, making five unbeaten runs to gold to enter Rio on a 41-game Olympic unbeaten streak.

Add in 1984 and 1988 gold medals and the US women are 55-1 with seven of the past eight Olympic titles.

"So many athletes before us have set the standard of how to play. I just want to continue in their footsteps and keep that standard of play the same," US Olympic debutante center Brittany Griner said.

"I know everybody is coming for us. No country, no team is going to roll over and just give it to us. We're going to have to go and take it. We have to take our best ball on both ends of the floor."

Krzyzewski, coaxed out of retirement for the Rio run, is 52-1 in international tournament play, a semifinal loss to Greece at the 2006 Worlds in Japan the only blemish on his tenure.

"I'm not nostalgic until something is over," coach Krzyzewski said. "It's one of the biggest mistakes any competitor can make, to be in only your moment. So I've got to coach them like it's my first time.