Kobe Bryant’s Final Olympic Gold Came on Aug. 12, 2012 as Team USA Held Off Spain
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On Aug. 12, 2012, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant collected his second and last Olympic gold medal when the United States edged Spain in the men’s basketball final at the London Games.
The victory capped a three-cycle turnaround for USA Basketball. After settling for bronze in 2004, the program rebuilt with the “Redeem Team” that reclaimed gold in Beijing in 2008 and returned most of its core to defend the title four years later.
Bryant, who scored 17 points on 50 percent shooting in the championship contest, averaged 12 points in 17 minutes per game over the eight-game tournament. It was his final Olympic appearance; the guard declined future invitations and retired from the NBA in 2016.
London 2012 further cemented Bryant’s place in Lakers history. By securing a second gold, he became the franchise’s most decorated Olympic champion, a distinction he held until Carmelo Anthony—owner of three gold medals—signed with the team in 2021.
While Bryant provided veteran leadership, the scoring spotlight belonged to Kevin Durant. Then 23, the forward averaged nearly 20 points and shot 52.3 percent from three-point range, finishing with a team-high 30 points in the gold-medal game. Anthony delivered the tournament’s single-game highlight with 37 points and 10 three-pointers against Nigeria during group play, a performance that helped the U.S. set an Olympic record with 156 points.
The 2012 triumph marked the middle leg of what is now a streak of five consecutive Olympic men’s basketball titles for the United States, continuing through Paris 2024, where Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis contributed to the latest championship. The next opportunity to extend the run comes at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Source: Lakers Nation
