U.S. Olympic Basketball Team: Worth Its Weight in Gold?

The U.S. Men’s Basketball team opens play against Olympic hosts China on Sunday in Beijing. And from that first tip off, Team USA will be carrying on its shoulders not just the hopes of its country but the ever-heavy burden of redemption.

Arguably the best collection of talent since the fabled “Dream Team” of 1992 led by Michael Jordan, the 2008 incarnation—which the press have dubbed the “Redeem Team”—hopes to erase some stinging recent losses, none more so than a humiliating third place finish in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Reigning NBA MVP Kobe Bryant is just one of the glittering collection of All-Stars representing the Stars and Stripes in China. A gold medal, clearly, is the expected culmination of Team USA’s Beijing adventure. But all this begs the question: Just how much would it cost to field this team here at home? In other words, just how much will this gold medal cost?

The answer will surprise even the cynics among you. The collected 2008-2009 salaries of Team USA tops out at a whopping $160,552,279. With the NBA’s salary cap currently set at $58.68 million, that means that the US team’s payroll is nearly three times the league limit. (To be exact, the team would be $101,870,279 over the NBA's limit.)

That’s easily the priciest roster in basketball history and will dwarf that of any of the competition they’ll be facing in Beijing. The Olympians, of course, aren’t paid for their travails, but the cold, hard cash each team member represents will make winning a must. A finish like the 2004 team would be a stinging rebuke.

Are they worth their weight in gold? First MainStreet looked at the starting 12 and their 2008-2009 NBA salaries.

The U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Starting 12 and their NBA Salaries:

Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz); $11,593,817
Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks); $21,372,000
LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); $14,410,581
Deron Williams (Utah Jazz); $5,069,449
Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); $15,780,000
Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat); $14,410,581
Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers); $21,262,500
Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); $13,758,000
Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); $14,410,581
Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets); $4,574,189
Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons); $9,500,000
Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); $14,410,581

TEAM SALARY TOTAL: $160,552,279!

That's a lot, but are they worth their wright in gold? And then some, take a look at our calculations:

1) Gold is trading right now at $856 an ounce.
2) Team USA weighs a collective 2,707 lbs., which is 43,312 ounces.

3) With a salaried value of $160,552,279, that means that the team is worth $3,706 per ounce, or a little over four times the value of gold!

USA! USA!