Remember When Team USA Basketball Needed To Get Its Act Together?
The Redeem Team (2022)
A Quick TV Review
​"Bring back the gold" is the mission both ordered and acknowledged clearly by basketball stars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James ahead of Beijing 2008. And they, along with their Team USA colleagues, do just that, as recounted by "The Redeem Team", a Netflix documentary released on Friday, and which documents the 2008 return to basketball dominance for Team USA.
A Quick TV Review
​"Bring back the gold" is the mission both ordered and acknowledged clearly by basketball stars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James ahead of Beijing 2008. And they, along with their Team USA colleagues, do just that, as recounted by "The Redeem Team", a Netflix documentary released on Friday, and which documents the 2008 return to basketball dominance for Team USA.
For even just casual followers of international and Olympic basketball, The Redeem Team offers a well-known story: Team USA, long the powerhouse of the sport, loses three times at Athens 2004 and finishes with 'just' the bronze medal, its worst overall performance at a Games.
Laying the blame for that on a lack of respect for the increasingly-strong international game, and the poor mix and use of selected veterans and younger players, USA Basketball's response is the hiring of Jerry Colangelo as general manager and of Mike Krzyzewski as head coach to set order. Shaping a team built on a multi-year commitment and instilled with a stirring sense of team (USA) duty, the mission is set.
Four players - James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Carlos Boozer, return from that ill-fated 2004 team seeking team and personal redemption, but the real catalyst is the inclusion of Kobe Bryant. A superstar looking to rehabilitate his own image, Bryant sets a dedicated and focused tone on the team.
His appearance also sets a focused tone on The Redeem Team as the program goes as the team does: influenced by his presence and in awe of his commitment. His addition to the team - and to The Redeem Team - provides the jolt needed for the story arc's completion.
Laying the blame for that on a lack of respect for the increasingly-strong international game, and the poor mix and use of selected veterans and younger players, USA Basketball's response is the hiring of Jerry Colangelo as general manager and of Mike Krzyzewski as head coach to set order. Shaping a team built on a multi-year commitment and instilled with a stirring sense of team (USA) duty, the mission is set.
Four players - James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Carlos Boozer, return from that ill-fated 2004 team seeking team and personal redemption, but the real catalyst is the inclusion of Kobe Bryant. A superstar looking to rehabilitate his own image, Bryant sets a dedicated and focused tone on the team.
His appearance also sets a focused tone on The Redeem Team as the program goes as the team does: influenced by his presence and in awe of his commitment. His addition to the team - and to The Redeem Team - provides the jolt needed for the story arc's completion.
It's interesting to watch The Redeem Team when considering the state of USA Basketball's men's team today. Yes, Tokyo 2020 ended with a fourth-straight gold for Team USA. But that came after two exhibition losses (one to Team Nigeria!) and a preliminary loss in Olympic play to Team France. It was certainly conceivable that the team might not win it all again. And that came after a seventh-place finish at the 2019 World Cup by a decidedly B-list team of NBA stars.
As Paris 2024 approaches, and as Team France in particular bolsters its credentials, it might take a renewed sense of mission by top U.S. stars to secure the gold again. Both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 teams faced some struggle in attracting that top-level. Next year's World Cup in Asia will certainly be a roster test for Team USA, and its commitment to retain its global leadership. Will we need another 'Redeem Team' soon?
As Paris 2024 approaches, and as Team France in particular bolsters its credentials, it might take a renewed sense of mission by top U.S. stars to secure the gold again. Both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 teams faced some struggle in attracting that top-level. Next year's World Cup in Asia will certainly be a roster test for Team USA, and its commitment to retain its global leadership. Will we need another 'Redeem Team' soon?
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