It’s been a while since USA men’s basketball stood atop the international-competition basketball world, but on top they are now after a 118-107 win over Spain in the gold-medal game in Beijing. LeBron James said after the game that it may go down as “one of the greatest Olympic games ever.” I can’t wait to see it. It’s been cool to see these NBA stars finally back “into” the Olympic movement. With the women taking the gold the day before, it’s good to see the basketball crowns back where they rightfully belong.

The Summer Olympics just keep getting bigger. There are 302 gold medals up for grabs in Beijing. That’s a gold medal every 47 minutes for the sixteen-day span of the games. Doesn’t sound so special when it’s put that way, does it? But is that BMX gold medal really as significant as the historic one Michael Phelps won last night? No, and there are good reasons why. Follow the jump for an in-depth analysis of the most valuable gold medals and the sports that don’t even deserve to be in the Olympics.

In beating China and Angola, many pundits said the jury was out on Team USA’s men’s basketball squad until they beat somebody good. The real test would begin against Greece, they said. Their 92-69 thrashing of Greece has surely left the doubters without much to say, though I’m sure we’ll hear how Greece didn’t play well and their REAL real test will come Saturday against undefeated Spain.

The American women have also been dominant, rolling through to an equally impressive 3-0 record.

While other teams may be gunning for Olympic gold, it seems one team is trying to become the dumbest team in the field. The Spanish basketball team posed for an advertisement (published by Spain’s Basketball Federation) in which they are pulling at their eyes to make them look slanted. Many are charging racism. I don’t know about all that, but I do know that they must have all checked their brains at the gymnasium door before posing for this stupid, insensitive ad. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Complete picture after the jump.

The all-muscle U.S. Redeem Team continues its romp through Olympic basketball this morning, closing out its first half against Angola 55-37. It’s a guilty pleasure to be able to watch these guys play live at 8 a.m., but that’s the beauty of the Olympics — 17 days of round-the-clock sports. 

The U.S. women’s team also opened with a 45-point demolition of China on Monday, an easy win that included an impromptu dunk contest between Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles and Lisa Leslie.

The U.S. Redeem Team opened today with a 101-70 thumping of Yao Ming’s Chinese team, which despite a valiant first-half effort couldn’t overcome the combined talents of Kobe, LeBron and Dwayne. The spectacle included President Bush, Henry Kissinger and other dignitaries. The U.S. team faces Angola on Tuesday.

Beyond their first win, what’s impressed me about this reformulated disappointment from the 2004 Games is their sheer muscularity. Yup, it’s a word and it fits here. They may not have gold yet, but this team certainly has the best biceps in Olympic basketball.