The Orion Online

Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: Sports

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The 2008 Olympic Games was a showcase of athleticism displaying the physical abilities of superstars from around the world. Michael Phelps won more gold medals in a summer than any other Olympian, Jamaica's Usain Bolt blazed on the track with three of his own gold medals and host-country China won 51 gold medals.

But the moment of true American glory came when members of Team USA stood atop the platform with gold around their necks, reclaiming the men's basketball throne.

Since the Dream Team's success in the 1990s, the U.S. team has faced adversity with rising stars in foreign countries.

The team's lineup changed slightly from the 2004 Olympics with the additions of the NBA MVP Kobe Bryant and all-star center Dwight Howard, but the mentality, motivation and maturity of the team improved immensely because of its dedication and drive to succeed.

National reporters dubbed them the Redeem Team in hopes that they could dominate their opponents like their predecessors once did. The need for redemption existed because the Dream Team that featured Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and so many other stars faded and it was realized that success in international play was not only for the United States.

This summer the team faced Argentina in the semifinals, a team that won Athens' gold in 2004. With a 20-point victory the U.S. launched into the gold-medal game against a star-studded Spanish team that revolved around Los Angeles Laker Pau Gasol.

The U.S. exhibited superstardom with a rally of dunks and 3-pointers, beating Spain 118-107. Dwyane Wade and Bryant proved to be the team leaders, with Wade scoring a team-high 27 points and Bryant adding clutch shots in the final minutes, sealing the victory.

Redemption was complete.

This restoration of Team USA abolishes the last eight years of disappointment. Chants of "U-S-A" were heard in Beijing as the time ran out and a new breed of American hoops stars kept the dream alive.

The tradition needs to stay alive. In four years, Bryant will be an old veteran, so it will be up to the younger stars such as Howard, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to carry the torch. The test was passed, but not yet aced. There is still a lot Team USA can improve on and in four years the test will come again.

Both the 1992 Dream Team and the Redeem Team had a record of 8-0 and an average of more than 100 points per game, but the margin of victory for the '92 team was about 43 points while the '08 team was close to 28 points.

All that matters, though, is that the U.S. is finally back at the pinnacle of the basketball world.

Mike Wagner can be reached at
mwagner@theorion.com

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