Which nation won the first Olympic basketball tournament for men in 1936?

The United States won the first Olympic men’s basketball tournament in 1936.

Basketball made its official Olympic debut at the Berlin Games, where the United States defeated Canada 19–8 in the gold-medal game. The final was played outdoors on a rain-soaked tennis court, making ball handling and shooting unusually difficult.

The sport had appeared earlier as a demonstration event at the 1904 Olympics, but demonstration status did not make it an official medal sport. The 1936 tournament therefore marks the beginning of basketball’s recognized Olympic medal history.

The United States team included college players, reflecting the amateur structure of international sport at the time. Basketball later became one of the Olympics’ most globally popular team sports, and the modern competition now includes both men’s and women’s tournaments.