The USA men's and women's basketball teams arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday for the 2016 Olympic Games which gets underway on Friday with the opening ceremony.

The USA men's and women's basketball teams touched down in Rio in Wednesday - ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games.

The men's team in particular boasts a wealth of superstar names including Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Although perhaps not an impressive roster as the famous 1992 Olympics 'Dream Team', the USA are hot favourites for gold in Rio.

For the duration of their stay the team has opted to stay away from the athletes village.

Mike Krzyzewski's men will instead stay aboard a luxury cruise liner, the 'Silver Cloud' which has been specially chartered for the occasion.

It appears the US women's team will also be living aboard the Silver Cloud, according to media reports.

There are suggestions that more members of the USA team could stay on the Silver Cloud, but details have been scant so far, probably due to security concerns.

A bullet-proof fence surrounds the area around the vessel, while the athletes will be guarded by 250 police officers.

As well as providing the high-profile American players with added security the move means that the problems with facilities in the athletes village are now not an issue for 'Team USA'.

The men's team have stayed on a cruise liner once before, at the 2004 Games in Athens.

The USA men have their first game on Saturday (August 6th), when they'll face China.

The women will play their first game on Sunday (August 7th), against Senegal.