Americans Win First Olympic Basketball Competition. Basketball made its debut as an Olympic sport at the 1936 Games in Berlin. On August 14, 1936, the U.S. won the Gold Medal, defeating Canada 19-8. The championship game was played outdoors in similar fashion to all the other basketball games of the Berlin Olympics. The "Master Olympic Planners" hadn't gotten the memo that … [Read more...] about U.S. Olympic Basketball Team Wins Gold in Berlin – August 14, 1936