There was really no competition for the USA team until the final match against Canada. The 1936 Olympic basketball event was played outdoors on a sand court, and unfortunately, the final was played underneath a heavy rain, which turned the court into a quagmire and markedly limited scoring. The United States defeated Canada, 19-8, to win the first Olympic basketball gold medal on 14th of August 1936.
U.S. team roster: Sam Balter, Duane Swanson, Frank Lubin, Carl Knowles, Art Mollner, Donald Piper and Carl Shy (Universal Pictures players)
Joe Fortenberry, John (Tex) Gibbons, Francis Johnson, Jack Ragland, Willard Schmidt and Bill Wheatley (McPherson Globe Refiners players)
Ralph Bishop (Washington University)
heavy rain and lots of water on a tennis court