All-Olympic picks: theScore's 1st and 2nd teams for men's hoops tourney

A riveting men's Olympic basketball competition came to an end Saturday with USA's gold medal game victory over France.

Here are our picks for the All-Olympic first and second teams from over the course of the two-week tournament.

1st team

Canada's Olympic run ended far earlier than most anticipated, but Gilgeous-Alexander isn't to blame for the disappointing exit. He was superb and hyperefficient all tournament. If there were one nitpick about his play, it'd be that he should've taken more than his 12.5 field-goal attempts per game that he converted at a terrific 54% clip.

There's arguably no player in the entire field that fans should trust more with the ball in their hands than Gilgeous-Alexander. Whether it's his patented pull-up mid-range jumper, his penchant for getting to the free-throw line, or his drive-and-kick game for open shooters, Canada's offense ran through Gilgeous-Alexander and was completely lost when he wasn't on the floor.

Schroder's steady play at the point earned him tournament MVP honors during Germany's inaugural World Cup championship run last summer. It was the same story in Paris as the veteran floor general was front and center once again.

Schroder ranked third among his peers in assists and tallied the fourth-most points. Whenever his country needed a bucket, he delivered. Schroder isn't known for his defensive acumen, but the 6-foot-1 guard had four steals in Germany's group-stage win over Brazil and applied immense pressure on sharpshooter Vitor Benite throughout the contest. Schroder also turned the tides in the quarterfinals, taking a key charge on Giannis Antetokounmpo to halt Greece's momentum.

James added another accolade to one of the most distinguished sporting careers of all time. The 39-year-old won his third gold medal - to go along with a bronze from 2004 - in what should be his final Olympic Games, though don't bet on that.

In a team loaded with star power, James stood out as the leader on and off the court. The Lakers star was tasked with running and organizing the tournament's most prolific offense - the Americans scored at least 100 points in all but two contests. James was just behind Serbian superstar Nikola Jokic for the most assists per game in the tournament.

Antetokoumpo should be commended for just getting Greece out of the group of death. The two-time MVP was the lone active NBA player on the roster yet still managed to score at a high and efficient level without much offensive support. The Bucks superstar scored 34 points in Greece's opening contest versus Canada, becoming only the third player to tally 30 points or more in their Olympic debut.

With Greece facing elimination, Antetokoumpo did it all in the group-stage finale against Australia, posting 20 points, seven boards, six assists, and two steals in 33 minutes. Heading into the knockout stage, the Greek Freak led the tournament in scoring by five points.

Serbia nearly completed one of international basketball's all-time upsets, taking the United States to the brink in the semifinals thanks to a Herculean effort from three-time MVP Jokic. The Nuggets superstar had to play 38 of the game's 40 minutes in that close loss. Despite dealing with foul trouble, he still managed to record 17 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds against the Olympic champs.

Jokic was his normal dominant self the entire tournament, leading the competition in rebounding (10.7) and assists (8.7) while also tying for sixth in points per contest (18.8).

2nd team

After starting the Olympic tournament an ice-cold 8-for-25 from the field, Curry went ballistic in the semis and finals to deliver the Americans a gold medal, the first of his career. The greatest 3-point shooter of all time went 17-for-26 from beyond the arc in wins against Serbia and France, averaging 30 points in those two games. To cap it all off, his four long balls in the final three minutes of the gold-medal match sealed the deal for his country.

Edwards boldly proclaimed himself as Team USA's "No. 1 option" during training camp in July. All he's done since then is back that up. The two-time All-Star has been a force off the bench, trailing only James and Curry in scoring. Edwards' shotmaking, above-the-rim athleticism, burst off the bounce, and tenacious defense were all on display for the world to see.

Giddey's NBA stock has fallen after getting benched in the playoffs with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the now-Chicago Bulls guard actually put up similar stats in his sophomore season compared to his remarkable Olympic run. The big difference was Giddey's 9-for-19 mark from beyond the arc, usually a clear weakness in his repertoire. His five turnovers per game were a bit problematic, but Australia clearly benefited from Giddey's all-around production in Paris.

Though Wagner and the Germans were unable to defend their gold medal from the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the 6-foot-10 forward had another impressive tournament. Wagner was Germany's leading scorer and the catalyst to Die Mannschaft their best-ever result in men's basketball. Despite losing a heartbreaker to France in the semifinals, the 22-year-old and the Germans put on a terrific display at the Paris Games, going undefeated in the group stage and accumulating the second-best point differential behind only Team USA.

Wembanyama's counting statistics didn't match his superhuman abilities or expectations. Although he didn't shoot well, his impact on France's run to an Olympic silver medal can't be understated. The 7-foot-4 phenom was forced to hold down the fort on defense as Timberwolves center Gobert only managed to play a total of 21 minutes in the three knockout-stage contests. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, France held the potent Canadian and German offenses to tournament lows, largely thanks to Wembanyama's presence in the middle.