Hoops world set for most competitive Olympics ever

With the conclusion of one of the most exciting NBA seasons in recent memory, basketball fans around the world will now shift their focus to a men's Olympic tournament that also promises to be one of the most competitive on record.

Since basketball was introduced to the Olympics in 1936, the United States has been running a one-horse race, winning three times as many gold medals (12) as everyone else combined.

But now the rest of the world has caught up - Argentina is the reigning Olympic champion and Spain the reigning world champion - making the eventual Beijing gold medalist anybody's guess.