{{Short description|none}} {{redirect|Redeem Team|the documentary|The Redeem Team (film)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox basketball club season | club = 2008 United States Men's Olympic Basketball Team | season = | image = Team USA - Mens Basketball - Beijing 2008 Olympics (2752008101).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = The USA Men's Basketball Team on August 10, 2008. | manager = Mike Krzyzewski | stadium = | league = 2008 Summer Olympics | league result = {{Olympic Gold medal}} | PIR_leader = | pir_n = | pir = | top_scorer = Dwyane Wade | ppg_n = USA | ppg = 16.0 | rebounds_leader = Chris Bosh | rpg_n = USA | rpg = 6.9 | assists_leader = Chris Paul | apg_n = USA | apg = 4.0 | highest attendance = | lowest attendance = | average attendance = | largest win = | largest loss = | h_title = | h_body = | h_pattern_b = | h_shorts = | h_pattern_s = | a_title = | a_body = | a_pattern_b = | a_shorts = | a_pattern_s = | 3_title = | 3_body = | 3_pattern_b = | 3_shorts = | 3_pattern_s = | prevseason = 2004 | nextseason = 2012 }}
The men's national basketball team of the United States won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. They qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team was nicknamed the "'''Redeem Team'''", a play on the "Dream Team" name for the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, and a reference to the fact that the United States came away with disappointing bronze medals during the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Former Phoenix Suns chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo was named managing director of the national team program by the USA Basketball Executive Committee in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USA BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES 12-MEMBER 2008 MEN'S SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM |url=https://www.teamusa.org/News/2008/June/23/USA-Basketball-Announces-12-Member-2008-Men-s-Senior-National-Team |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302001847/http://www.teamusa.org/News/2008/June/23/USA-Basketball-Announces-12-Member-2008-Men-s-Senior-National-Team |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 2, 2014 |website=teamusa.org}}</ref> Kobe Bryant was named the team captain and Mike Krzyzewski was named the head coach of the 2008 team.<ref>{{cite magazine |publisher=Time Magazine |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1819129_1819134_1819135,00.html |title=1. LeBron James - 100 Olympic Athletes To Watch |author=Sean Gregory |magazine=Time |date= July 24, 2008 |access-date=November 18, 2018 }}</ref> An ESPN program, ''Road to Redemption'', followed the team's preparations. Additionally, a Netflix produced documentary titled ''The Redeem Team'' was released in 2022.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81452996 |title=The Redeem Team |type=Documentary}}</ref>
The United States defeated Spain 118–107 in the final to win the gold. Dwyane Wade was the leading scorer for Team USA, averaging 16 points per game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/olympics/teams/USA/2008|title=2008 Stats - United States}}</ref>
After the 2004 Olympics, USA Basketball initiated a long-term project that saw players committing to play for the team long before the start of the 2008 Olympics, instead of hastily accepting invitations merely weeks prior to the start of the tournament. Many 2008 Olympians participated in the 2007 Americas championships, where the US won gold, thus qualifying for the Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schwager-Patel |first1=Nischal |title=USA’s Beijing 2008 ‘Redeem Team’ inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame |url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/usa-beijing-2008-redeem-team-naismith-basketball-hall-of-fame |website=Olympics.com |publisher=The International Olympic Committee |access-date=31 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250731031605/https://www.olympics.com/en/news/usa-beijing-2008-redeem-team-naismith-basketball-hall-of-fame |archive-date=31 July 2025 |date=6 April 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>
In September 2025, the entire team was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with two of its members, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, also being inducted as players at that time.<ref name = "HOF">{{cite web |title=Bird, Moore, Anthony, Donovan top '25 Basketball Hall of Fame class |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44546358/bird-moore-anthony-howard-top-25-naismith-hall-fame-class |website=ESPN.com |publisher=Associated Press (via ESPN) |access-date=April 5, 2025}}</ref> With the Hall of Fame inductions, six players (Anthony, Chris Bosh, Bryant, Howard, Jason Kidd, and Wade) and two coaches (Jim Boeheim and Krzyzewski) have been inducted individually into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
==Record== {{main|United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics#Basketball}}
===Preparation Matches: USA Basketball International Challenge=== {| style="white-space:nowrap" !style="width:45%"| ! !style="width:45%"| |- |July 25, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|USA}}'''||align=center| '''120 – 65''' ||'''{{Bk|CAN}}''' || Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas |- |July 31, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|USA}}'''||align=center| '''114 – 82''' ||'''{{Bk|TUR}}''' || Cotai Arena, Macau |- |August 1, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|USA}}'''||align=center| '''120 – 84''' ||'''{{Bk|RUS}}''' || Cotai Arena, Macau |- |August 3, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|USA}}'''||align=center| '''89 – 68''' ||'''{{Bk|AUS}}''' || Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai |- |August 5, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|USA}}'''||align=center| '''87 – 76''' ||'''{{Bk|GER}}''' || Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai |}
===Preliminary round=== {{main|Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament#Group B}} The team competed in Group B of the preliminary round. {{#section:Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|B}} {| style="white-space:nowrap" !style="width:45%"| ! !style="width:45%"| |- |August 10, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|USA}}'''||align=center| '''101 – 70''' ||'''{{Bk|CHN}}''' || Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing |- |August 12, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|ANG}}'''||align=center| '''76 – 97''' ||'''{{Bk|USA}}''' || Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing |- |August 14, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|USA}}'''||align=center| '''92 – 69''' ||'''{{Bk|GRE}}''' || Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing |- |August 16, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|ESP}}'''||align=center| '''82 – 119''' ||'''{{Bk|USA}}''' || Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing |- |August 18, 2008 |- style=font-size:90% |align=right|'''{{Bk-rt|USA}}'''||align=center| '''106 – 57''' ||'''{{Bk|GER}}''' || Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing |}
===Tournament bracket=== {{main|Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament#Knockout round}} {{#section:Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|Bracket}}
==Roster== {{#section:Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's team rosters|USA}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/19961219123517/http://www.usabasketball.com/ USA Basketball], official site * [https://www.netflix.com/title/81452996 The Redeem Team], 2022 Netflix documentary
{{United States men's national basketball team}} {{United States Men Basketball Squad 2008 Summer Olympics}} {{Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame members}} {{2025 Basketball HOF}} {{USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year}} {{Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament}} {{Summer Olympics basketball tournament winners}}
Category:United States at the Olympic men's basketball tournament United Olympics