Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may fret about the US trade imbalance with China but on the basketball court it is all one way business as the US opened the Olympic tournament with a 119-62 thrashing.

China has never beaten the US on Olympic hardwood and there was not the faintest hint that this was going to be the evening that drought would end, even when Ding Yan-yuhang scored the first points from free-throws.

That was the high point for China, the last and only time they would lead, as the US clinically rolled to a 59-30 half-time advantage, leaving a flat atmosphere inside the packed Carioca Arena.

Bored fans quickly resorted to entertaining themselves by doing the wave.

This US squad may be more “B Team” than “Dream Team” with many top players, including four-time NBA most valuable player LeBron James and twice reigning MVP Stephen Curry, deciding to stay home but there has been no noticeable drop in skill or quality.

Every player on the US roster got on the scoresheet in the opener with four getting into double figures led by Kevin Durant with 25.

“I thought China played really hard, they have a lot of young players and they are getting better and we were good,” said US coach Mike Krzyzewski.

“We’re older and more talented and we played really hard and shared the ball.

“The Olympics are different, they’re big, for 10 of the guys it is their first Olympics... it’s different, it’s new.”