When it comes to international basketball, there is no team that’s more successful than Team USA. In the Olympics, the men’s basketball team has managed to take home the gold medal 16 times.
But there have been times when Team USA has been outplayed by other countries. One of them was when the team failed to win the gold medal in 1988, and it led to the 1992 Dream Team’s creation. The Dream Team once again proved that most of the greatest basketball players in the world were, in fact, in the United States.
12 years down the line, in 2004, Team USA had one of its worst runs in the Olympics. They barely managed to win the bronze medal in a tournament they were the flat-out favorites to win.
Evidently, it meant that Team USA had to make a stunning comeback in the next Olympics, and that’s what they did in 2008. But have you ever wondered who would have won between the 1992 Dream Team and the 2008 Redeem Team? Well, it’s closer than you’d think.
Kobe Bryant Was A Crucial Part Of The 2008 Redeem Team
By 2008, Kobe Bryant had already transformed into the Mamba, and everyone was aware of his mindset and mentality. So when Kobe was recruited for the 2008 Redeem Team, it meant the USA was serious about redemption.
Right after joining the team, Kobe had a specific message for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony, who were a part of the 2004 Team USA. This message was revealed by Melo in the trailer of Netflix’s documentary about the Redeem Team.
(starts at 1:00):
“Kobe said, ‘I’m tried of watching y’all lose.’ I’m like, ‘I love this energy, this is what we need.'”
Kobe was the captain of that sensational team. He played a crucial role in unifying the team, and if it was someone else in his place, they might not have done the job as well as he did.
In the same trailer, Kobe also mentioned that people believed that the members of Team USA were just a bunch of showboats and didn’t have what it took to win the gold medal. Well, Kobe and co. proved everyone wrong.
