| Head coach | Gerry Tucker |
|---|---|
| 1956 Summer Olympics |  |
| Scoring leader |  Bill Russell (14.1) |
The 1956 United States men's Olympic basketball team competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, from November 22 to December 1, 1956. The team was led by 22-year-old Bill Russell, who averaged 14.1 points per game. [1] Team USA won the Olympic Gold medal, beating their opponents by an average of 53.5 points, an unsurpassed average margin of victory in Olympic basketball. [2]
| Position | Height | Weight | Age | Hometown | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dick Boushka | Forward | 6'5" | 195 | 22 | Springfield, Illinois | Wichita Vickers (Saint Louis) |
| Carl Cain | Forward | 6'3" | 190 | 22 | Freeport, Illinois | University of Iowa Hawkeyes |
| Charles Darling | Center | 6'8" | 225 | 26 | Denver, Colorado | Phillips 66ers (Iowa) |
| William Evans | Guard | 6'1" | 185 | 24 | Berea, Kentucky | U.S. Armed Forces (Kentucky) |
| Gilbert Ford | Guard | 6'4" | 200 | 25 | Amarillo, Texas | U.S. Armed Forces (Texas) |
| Burdette Haldorson | Forward | 6'7" | 207 | 22 | Austin, Minnesota | Phillips 66ers (Colorado) |
| Bill Hougland | Forward | 6'5" | 190 | 26 | Beloit, Kansas | Phillips 66ers (Kansas) |
| Robert Jeangerard | Forward | 6'3" | 190 | 23 | Winnetka, Illinois | Phillips 66ers (Colorado) |
| K. C. Jones | Guard | 6'1" | 201 | 24 | San Francisco, California | University of San Francisco |
| Bill Russell | Center | 6'10" | 220 | 22 | Oakland, California | University of San Francisco |
| Ron Tomsic | Guard | 5'11" | 185 | 23 | Oakland, California | U.S. Armed Forces (Stanford) |
| Jim Walsh | Guard | 6'4" | 190 | 26 | San Francisco, California | Phillips 66ers (Stanford) |
United States beat 
Japan, 98–40 United States beat 
Thailand, 101–29 United States beat 
Philippines, 121–53 United States beat 
Bulgaria, 85–44 United States beat 
Brazil, 113–51 United States beat 
Soviet Union, 85–55 United States beat 
Uruguay, 101–38 United States beat Soviet Union, 89–55| Games | FGM-FGA | Pct (field goals) | FTM-FTA | Pct (free throws) | Pts/Avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dick Boushka | 8 | 27–68 | .397 | 10–10 | 1.000 | 64/8.0 |
| Carl Cain | 2 | 1–5 | .200 | 1–2 | .500 | 3/1.5 |
| Charles Darling | 8 | 22–44 | .500 | 12–15 | .800 | 56/9.3 |
| William Evans | 8 | 21–55 | .382 | 12–18 | .667 | 54/6.8 |
| Gilbert Ford | 8 | 17–44 | .386 | 5–7 | .714 | 39/4.9 |
| Burdette Haldorson | 8 | 28–58 | .483 | 13–15 | .867 | 69/8.6 |
| Bill Hougland | 8 | 20–51 | .392 | 6–6 | 1.000 | 46/5.8 |
| Robert Jeangerard | 8 | 45–74 | .608 | 10–11 | .909 | 100/12.5 |
| K. C. Jones | 8 | 32–75 | .427 | 23–27 | .852 | 87/10.9 |
| Bill Russell | 8 | 46–96 | .479 | 21–27 | .778 | 113/14.1 |
| Ron Tomsic | 8 | 34–92 | .370 | 21–25 | .840 | 89/11.1 |
| Jim Walsh | 9 | 27–61 | .443 | 19–21 | .905 | 73/9.1 [3] |
United States (8–0) Soviet Union (5–3) Uruguay (6–2)
France (5–3) Bulgaria (5–3) Brazil (3–4) Philippines (4–4)
Chile (2–5)
Canada (5–2) Japan (3–4)
Formosa (5–3)
Australia (2–5)
Singapore (2–5)
South Korea (1–6) Thailand (0–7) | ||
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