After obtaining back-to-back gold medals in the 2001 South American championship and in the 2001 Tournament of the Americas, Argentina took the first step on a path to solidify their place in basketball elite. Next came the 2002 FIBA World Championship celebrated in Indianapolis, where they made history by being the first team to defeat a United States roster composed entirely of NBA players. Argentina would reach the finals for the first time since the first World Championship in 1950, but would lose to Yugoslavia. The following year, after obtaining a sixth place in the 2003 Pan American Games with an alternate roster, Argentina sent their best players to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the 2003 Tournament of the Americas that would grant three spots in the 2004 Summer Olympics. After a starting the tournament with a defeat against Mexico, Argentina would reach the finals and lose against the United States, securing a spot in the Olympics anyway.