Day Eight of Olympic Men’s Basketball: Redeeming Gold!
The Fig Cap: REDEMPTION!
Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
Do you notice that huddle to the right there? See all of those numbers on the back of those jerseys? Can you add up all the numbers? Simple addition, right? Well, no matter what the literal answer is, the symbolic answer is the answer that matters most, and that answer is ONE. After spending parts of three years together gearing up for these 2008 Beijing Olympics, Team USA came together at the most crucial of moments and played together as a team. Unlike the recent past, there's no one-on-one's here, folks. Nope...
... just ONE.
For all the individual star power that comprised Team USA, it wasn't about individuals, as players accepted their roles and did what needed to be done in order to redeem themselves as the supposed top basketball power in the world. With today's win they did just that. Spain made it tough on them in the fourth quarter, coming thisclose to tying the game with about eight minutes to go. Then a American run. Then a Spain jog to get it as close as four points. Then, the Americans answering back and hitting free-throws on technicals the rest of the way. Understand, there weren't five players on the floor for Team USA at any one time - that would be an insult to the brotherhood, mission, and focus of this team - so, not five players playing as five players. Nope...
... just ONE.
And for all the prestige and power (and pendulousness) of being an NBA head coach, the 2004 Athens Olympics proved that not even a Hall of Fame NBA coach who did not appropriately teach the team concept would have been good enough to achieve this redemption and bringing back hoops glory to the United States. It took a college coach, a legendary one at that, to bring this squad of NBA All-Stars together. Makes sense. In college basketball, it's the system that takes precedence over individual players and there wasn't a better coach to teach and preach teamwork.
If you notice, I do not name any individual in this article because this road to redemption was never a story about one person or one coach. Nope...
... just ONE team.
Gold Medal Game Results and Final Standings
Photos: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Comments
“Will the real Kobe please stand up?” He didn’t only stand up when the team finally got tested, he carried the team to the GOLD. What do you know about that little buddy.
Kobe is really wonderful player for USA national Olympic squad and he performed superbly in Olympic basketball game.