Since the US didn’t start sending pros until 1992 it wouldn’t be fair to include players who weren’t eligible. So for the sake of argument let’s say they had to be 30 years old or younger at 1992. So players like Kareem/Wilt/Bill Russell/Jerry West/Elgin Baylor/Bill Walton aren’t applicable.
With those parameters who is the best American player without a gold medal?
Why didn’t Walton play?
He never explicitly said, but either/or to protest the Vietnam War, and because he absolutely hated playing on the 1970 World Championships team because the coach was a grade a douchenozzle.