For all intents and purposes, Serbia had the semifinal win in the bag. They dominated the Americans right from the get-go and repulsed every comeback attempt Team USA tried to mount. As the fourth period began, the U.S. had ten minutes to complete one of the biggest comebacks in USA Basketball history or earn the notoriety of being the first team to fall short of winning the gold medal since 2004. And then something clicked for Team USA.
A three-pointer by Kevin Durant led to another by Devin Booker, cutting Serbia’s lead to five. A few minutes later, LeBron James tied the game with a layup. Then, the dam broke wide open as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant got in on the act, scoring crucial baskets to help Team USA overcome the huge deficit and triumph, 95-91, to secure a spot in the gold-medal game of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After the game, Redeem Team member and Olympic gold medal winner Dwyane Wade posted on X that pointed out that Team USA’s remarkable come-from-behind win came on a date that held special significance for everyone on the team.
It’s only right
For the uninitiated, the numbers “8-8-24” are the jersey numbers that hoop icon and legend Kobe Bryant wore during his 20-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. And like Wade, Bean played a starring role on the Redeem Team in 2008, helping to bring back the gold medal to the U.S. after a lackluster few years that saw the Americans finish sixth in the 2002 World Championship and third in the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2006 World Championship.
After USA Basketball floundered at the World Championship in Tokyo, they recruited Kobe, who was also looking for redemption. After winning three straight NBA titles, his career hit a rough patch as the Lakers traded away Shaquille O’Neal and went from title contenders to nobodies in the NBA.
Although many considered him a lone wolf, he soon found kinship with the members of Team USA, which had Wade, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony.
“Listen, I understand Kobe is serious as hell when it comes to work, but he want to smile too and he want to feel accepted too. I mean, I don’t call myself a comedian, but one thing about him, he’s always going to keep his guard up. But it was a relief for the whole team and just for the program to see him in a different light,” LeBron James said in the “Redeem Team” documentary.
Related: Patrick Beverley talks about his full circle moment with Michael Jordan: "His boat a little bigger than mine, but I came on a boat too"
Elevated everyone to another level
Known for “Mamba Mentality,” Kobe’s intense focus and drive to win pushed his teammates to elevate their games. As Wade explained, Kobe was all about bringing glory back to the Stars and Stripes. There was even one incident when several team members went out for a night out and returned in the wee hours to find Kobe already in the weight room getting in a pre-dawn workout.
“To be able to watch that dude walk through that door with his intensity, his confidence, with his swagger, with his work ethic … it was that mentality that, man, I can’t let this guy down,” Wade shared . “Forget everybody else, we can’t let him down.”
As Team USA prepares to battle France for the gold medal, they hope to complete their journey on 8-10-24, which also holds meaning for hoopers around the world. Aside from “8” and “24,” “10” is a number associated with Kobe as it was what he wore when he played for Team USA in 2008 and 2012.
Related: Curry is aware of the challenge in the gold-medal game: "All 12 of us can find one game where we went into a hostile environment"
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