Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics

Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport of basketball as an official Olympic medal event. Sixteen nations competed in the event.

The teams were divided in four groups of four teams with the top two teams from each group qualifying through to the quarters-finals. From there, they would be split into two groups of four teams with the top two qualifying through to the medal round. The remaining teams who got eliminated earlier in the tournament than met for the consolidation places in the tournament. In the gold medal match, it was Argentina who got the gold medal as they defeated the must more fancy United States in the final 76-70. While the Soviet Union came in third place as they defeated Brazil.