The United States national men’s basketball team won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The team was nicknamed the Redeem Team, which was a play on the 1992 squad that was labeled the Dream Team. This squad was given its nickname for its rise back to the top after the 2004 team received bronze, while the 2006 squad also won bronze at the 2006 FIBA World Championships.
- Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks Head Coach)
- Michael Redd (Podcaster)
- Carlos Boozer (College Graduate)
- Tayshaun Prince (Grizzlies Vice President of Basketball Affairs)
- Deron Williams (Boxer)
- Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns Point Guard)
- Chris Bosh (Producer)
- Dwight Howard (Free Agent)
- Carmelo Anthony (Free Agent)
- Dwyane Wade (Minority Owner Of The Jazz)
- LeBron James (Lakers Superstar)
- Kobe Bryant (Passed Away)
The team went 5-0 in the preliminary round and then blew past Australia in the quarterfinals. That was followed by a 101-81 win over Argentina in the semifinals. With their 118-107 win over Spain, the United States was back to being the top dogs in the land of basketball. Ultimately, this team featured 11 All-Stars, a Hall of Fame coach in Mike Krzyzewski, and two MVPs. Some of these players remain today, while others have moved on to the next phase of their life.
Let’s see what the 2008 Redeem Team is up to today.
Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks Head Coach)
In the Olympics, Kidd averaged 13.5 minutes per game but did not do a lot during that time offensively. He averaged 1.6 points and 2.0 assists. Kidd remained a relevant player in the league at this time, but we just didn’t see it in the summer games. Since leaving the league in 2013, Kidd has been inducted into the Hall of Fame and pursued a career in coaching.
Immediately after retiring, he was brought to coach the Brooklyn Nets for the 2013-14 season. The team finished 44-38 and was second in the division. Brooklyn made the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated. The team and he did not see eye to eye, and he left to take a job to coach the Milwaukee Bucks. The team made the playoffs two times. He was fired during the 2017-18 season after a 23-22 start. He spent some time as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and won a title in 2020. In 2021, he was hired to be the Mavericks’ head coach, where he led the team to a 52-30 record and an appearance in the Conference Finals.
Michael Redd (Podcaster)
Redd averaged 3.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in about nine minutes of action per game. Redd was a former All-Star that was durable for the league. His performance was different from the times he was leading the league in minutes per game. Redd left the NBA in 2013, where he found instant success as an entrepreneur.
Redd owns the podcast Betting on Yourself. The podcast talks about how he has become a world-class investor, and it shares stories of other athletes and entrepreneurs that have bet on themselves to live successful lives. Redd also remains beloved by Bucks fans. When the Bucks won the title in 2021, he made an appearance in the championship parade.
Carlos Boozer (College Graduate)
Among those on the roster, Boozer was used the least. He was on the course a team-low 5.9 minutes per game. He averaged 3.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and took about one shot a game. At the time, he was an All-Star player for the Jazz but this team was very deep offensively, so it’s not a surprise to see his totals so low.
As of recently, he has become a college graduate. He was three classes shy of finishing his degree at Duke. He graduated from Duke in 2020 with a degree in sociology, but due to COVID-19, he never walked. On May 8, 2022, he walked the stage during his graduation ceremony. He has also settled down and started a family. He married his longtime girlfriend, Aneshka Smith, in 2017.
Tayshaun Prince (Grizzlies Vice President of Basketball Affairs)
When the Pistons were at the top of their dynasty, a lot of attention was given to Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace. Many forget that Tayshaun Prince was the fifth member of that lineup and was pretty decent at basketball. Prince was used sparingly at the Olympics, where he averaged 4.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and played 10.9 minutes per game.
Since leaving the league in 2016, Prince pursued a life as an executive. He joined the Memphis Grizzlies as a special assistant to the general manager. Prince played for the Grizzlies from 2012 to 2015. On April 27, 2019, he was promoted to Vice President of Basketball Affairs, a role that he continues to serve today.
Deron Williams (Boxer)
Williams and Boozer were teammates with the Jazz during the 2000s. Williams was a backup point guard for this team and saw the court nearly 20 minutes a night. He averaged 8.0 points and 2.8 assists in a limited role. That included shooting 90% from the free throw line. Williams played in the league up to 2017 and has been out of basketball since.
Known as an avid boxing and MMA fan, Williams pursued a career in the sport he loved. He even owns a stake in Fortis MMA. Williams trained for years in mixed martial arts and boxing. He was given an opportunity to fight on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury. Williams was able to defeat former NFL running back Frank Gore via a split decision.
Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns Point Guard)
This roster was filled with stellar guards. That featured Chris Paul, the leader on the team in assists. His 33 assists in eight games just beat out LeBron James’ 30 total assists. His 4.1 assists were also the most, while Paul also averaged 2.3 steals and 8.0 points per game. Paul nearly led the team in steals but tied Dwyane Wade with 18 steals as James led the team with 19.
It’s been a long time since that time when Paul was a youngster in the league. Now, he is in his mid-30s still chasing the championships he longs for. Paul played for the Pelicans at the time but has since played with the Clippers, Rockets, and Thunder. He is the all-time leader in assists and steals for both the Pelicans and Clippers. He is now the starting point guard for the Phoenix Suns. In 2021, he played in the NBA Finals. Last year, the Suns led the league in wins but were ousted in the second round of the playoffs. Paul will look to win his first ring this upcoming season.
Chris Bosh (Producer)
The top rebounder for the Redeem Team was Bosh. With 6.1 rebounds, he was able to outrebound one of his teammates by three total rebounds. At the time, Bosh was a member of the Raptors. Bosh helped the Raptors make the playoffs in his early days. He left the franchise as the all-time leader in points and rebounds. He remains the leader in rebounds but has seen his scoring record fall to DeMar DeRozan. Bosh left Toronto in 2010 to join LeBron James and Wade to form a superteam in Miami, where he won two championships.
Due to blood clotting issues, Bosh had to retire early. He tried to make a comeback for three years, but ultimately it was too risky for his health. In 2019, he officially retired from the league. Bosh now lives in Austin, Texas, and owns a record label “Daddy Jack Records.”
Dwight Howard (Free Agent)
Howard nearly led the team in rebounds but fell to Bosh by three boards. Howard was one of five players to average double-digits in the Olympics. That included a line of 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds. When it came to overall athleticism, Howard was one of the biggest freak athletes on the court. This was during a time when Howard was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate for the Magic. His protection in the middle made it difficult for others to score for the USA.
After winning gold, Howard led the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009. The team fell to the Lakers in the end. Howard stayed with the Magic up to 2012 before he joined the Lakers and Kobe Bryant for one season. That partnership did not work and he would play for the Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, and Wizards before winning a championship as a reserve in 2020. Howard has since played for the 76ers and Lakers (again). Now, he remains on the market and is waiting for a team to call his agent.
Carmelo Anthony (Free Agent)
Anthony is an Olympic legend for winning three gold medals with the Olympic teams. The 2008 medal was the first. At the time, Anthony was in his prime and one of the best scoring forwards in the world. Anthony was fourth on the team in points with 11.5. He also contributed 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
After the Olympics, Anthony helped the Nuggets qualify for the Conference Finals. He would leave the Nuggets to join the New York Knicks, where he won a scoring title in 2013. A few years ago, Anthony nearly walked away from the game, but made a comeback and has served as a key bench piece for the Trail Blazers. He then joined the Lakers to team up with longtime friend LeBron James. At 38 years old, Anthony is running out of time to win that first championship. He will need to find a team as he sits on the free agent market.
Dwyane Wade (Minority Owner Of The Jazz)
The leading scorer of the Olympic team was Dwyane Wade. The Miami Heat superstar averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2.3 steals in 18.8 minutes per game. Wade scored a total of 128 points, which just beat the 124 points from James and the 120 points from Bryant. Wade also shot 67.1% from the field where he took 8.8 shots per game.
Wade had an illustrious career that saw him win the Finals MVP in 2006, as well as two more rings in 2012 and 2013. Wade walked away from basketball in 2019. He was able to spend one season with the Heat and held a retirement tour on his way out. His business ventures include becoming a minority owner of the Jazz, where he is courtside at games.
LeBron James (Lakers Superstar)
Some accredit James leaving the Cavaliers because of these summer games. James, Wade, and Bosh were all together and became close friends. James averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks to put the rest of the world on notice. After winning the gold, he came back to the Cavaliers for two seasons but came up short in the playoffs despite winning the regular season MVP Award in both seasons.
James would leave the Cavaliers to join the Heat. He was vilified but won two championships with the team. After four straight appearances in the NBA Finals, he went back home to Cleveland and delivered a championship in 2016. After four more trips to the Finals, he led the Lakers to a championship in 2020. Outside of basketball, LeBron has donated to charities. He founded a school for low-income families. James starred in Space Jam 2. Now, he is trying to chase down his fifth championship. He is coming off of a season where he averaged more than 30.0 points per game. He will turn 38 years old this season but continues to show that he is not going to be slowed down just yet.
Kobe Bryant (Passed Away)
The Mamba feared nobody in the states and internationally. Bryant was one of three players that averaged at least 15.0 points per game on the team. He added a line of 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals. Bryant did not have his best Olympics shooting the ball, but he led the team in field goal attempts at 13.0. He had an overall line of 46.2%/32.1%,58.3%. In the end, others picked up the slack.
Bryant was the reigning MVP before the summer games began. He upped the ante the next season by winning the 2009 and 2010 championships and was named the Finals MVP Award. Bryant finished out his basketball career in 2016 with the Lakers. He enjoyed success away from the court after his retirement. That included becoming the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. He launched a television series and was focused on his family, including the development of girls’ basketball teams. Bryant was taken from the world too early when he was among nine people that died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
