Dwyane Wade has had front-row seats to watch Team USA in action at the 2024 Olympics, as he is calling the games for NBC. Wade has been very impressed by their performances and during an interview with NBC News, stated he had never seen a team like this one and compared it to his 2008 Redeem Team.
“This team is so deep, in six games we’re not going to get an opportunity to see how dope this team really is,” Wade said. “But I know basketball. And I know with my own eyes I have not seen a team like this. My ‘08 team was very good, but I don’t know if we was as deep as this team.”
I am not sure that the Redeem Team was as deep as this one, either. Of the 12 players on this roster, eight made one of the All-NBA teams in 2024.
Jayson Tatum made the first team while Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis were in the second team. The third team, meanwhile, had LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Tyrese Haliburton, and Devin Booker.
As for the four who didn’t make it in, Embiid only missed out because he wasn’t eligible for the team after playing just 39 games. Bam Adebayo had a case to make it in but did at least make the All-Defensive First Team. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, meanwhile, made the All-Defensive Second Team.
So, everyone apart from Embiid, who was ineligible, made at least the All-NBA or the All-Defensive team this past season. That was not the case for the Redeem Team in 2008.
For starters, Jason Kidd was no longer an All-NBA caliber player by the time we got to 2008 and he didn’t make any of the All-Defensive teams that year either. Michael Redd, meanwhile, was a fine scorer, but only ever made one All-NBA team in 2004 and never made the defensive team. Carlos Boozer was the same, but to his credit, his All-NBA team selection did come in 2008.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying by any means that they weren’t good players, but if you compare 2008 and 2024, I’d say this current team is deeper. Had Kawhi Leonard not had to withdraw, the gap between the two teams would have been even bigger.
Dwyane Wade’s Message For The Players Who Are Not Getting Consistent Game Time At The Olympics
A big talking point during the Olympics has been Tatum not playing at all in the opener against Serbia and then Embiid getting that treatment against South Sudan. Wade’s message to the two stars and others who aren’t getting consistent game time is “When you get your opportunity, put your imprint on the game.”
“The ultimate goal is to be standing on that podium as a gold medal winner,” Wade added. “No one really cares that I led [the 2008] team in scoring. All they care about is we won the gold medal. It’s way bigger than you. You have to come in with the mindset that ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes to ultimately get us on that stage.’”
Wade had to come off the bench himself in 2008, despite having won the championship and Finals MVP in 2006. He was fine with the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony starting over him, though, as the main goal was to win the gold and they did win.
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