Reflections on The Redeem Team

One of the major stories coming into the 2008 Olympic Games was the U.S. Men's Basketball team. The team, made up of NBA players, has been dubbed the "Redeem Team" because of recent play by the U.S. team in recent years.

Initially, when professionals began playing for the U.S. back in 1992, they were the "Dream Team". They were the best of the best and it showed as they steamrolled over the competition as they went on to win the gold medal. They duplicated that success in 1996 and in 2000 winning gold medals in those games as well. However, the rest of the world began to catch up with the U.S. team. As more international players came to play in the NBA along with a decline in talent and teamwork on the U.S. squad, the gap closed and came to a head in 2002 at the World Championships. As the host nation, the U.S. finished a disappointing 6th place. The disappointment continued at the 2004 Olympics where the team finished with the bronze medal and at the 2006 World Championships they finished with the bronze.

For the Bejing Olympics, there was a major emphasis for the U.S. to get back to the dominance that they had for many years. They got one of the best college coaches (Mike Krzyzewski) to coach the team. They stressed more team play and less individualism. They got some of the best players both young and established (Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd). The "Redeem Team" was to go, win the gold medal, and show the U.S. as a top team in the world again.

So far, the team has not disappointed. They have went 3-0 in pool play so far beating China, Angola and Greece in convincing fashion. They have played like a team both on offense and on defense. They have even got me rooting for a team with Kobe and Coach K on it. Though there is still several games to go before the medal round, all signs are pointing to a strong run and potentially a return to the gold medal.