Monday, August 25, 2008
The Redeem team probably does not care about comparisons. They are halfway across the world, sporting smiles the size of the large gold medals plastered upon their chests. This Redeem Team is finally enjoying standing up straight after having a large monkey on its backs for the last three years. However, back home, the comparisons cannot help but be echoed by most basketball enthusiasts.
Is the Redeem Team better than the Dream Team? The answer is quite simple: probably not. One-fifth of the NBA’s All-Time Top 50 players contributed to the outright shellacking of their hapless opponents at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
But alter that question to ask, what feat was more impressive? And you may find a more diverse set of answers.
The world is getting better at basketball. This much is obvious. Teams other than the United States are stacked with NBA ability. Dirk Nowitzki led the German team, former number one pick Andrew Bogut played center for the surprising Australians, and the Spanish team contained a bevy of talent, including NBA All-Star Pau Gasol. Compare that to the competition that the 1992 Dream Team faced. Toni “The Croatian Sensation” Kukoc and Detlef “I don’t have a nickname, but I do have a cool name” Schrempf of Germany were two of the only notable players who represented their countries.
This time, Spain had not only certifiable NBA talent, but they’re young enough to be favorites to return to the medal rounds in 2012. The Gasol brothers are both big men with a variety of low post moves, Rudy Fernandez was draining three-pointers in Kobe Bryant’s face, and Juan Carlos Navarro was making floaters look as easy as passing KU’s bowling class. The Redeem Team was still able to look in the face of this upgraded competition and find a way to win at all costs.
The pressure on the United States to win this year was enough to make lesser men not want to get out of bed in the morning. The term “win or go home” has become one of the most clichéd phrases in sports, up there with “nobody believed we could do it.” But the Redeem Team truly was in a “win or go home” situation. Anything less than a gold medal would have meant a complete failure. Anything less than a gold would have meant that after three years of hard work, the future of American basketball in international play would have once again gone into disarray.
The Americans were fed up with losing. We all watched as a Carlos Arroyo-led Puerto Rico squad beat us by 19 in 2004, followed by a disappointing loss to Manu Ginobili and the Argentines in the semifinals. Carlos Arroyo was a backup point guard on the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson were NBA superstars. It boggled the mind.
The 2008 American team not only had to prove to itself that it was a different team than those in years past, but it also had to prove it to the entire country. With the weight of the United States on its shoulders, it was able to take the gold.
In 1992, opponents were awed just to play the Dream Team. In 2008, opponents knew they could win and gave everything they had every night. In the end, the result was the same. The Redeem Team was able to fight doubts, pressure and increased difficulty to become the world champion and that achievement trumps the Dream Team’s domination.
— - Edited by Arthur Hur
Morning Brew: Who’s better Kobe or LeBron?
Kobe Bryant leads LeBron James in NBA titles, but LeBron has done ...
Two basketball players represent KU for Team ...
Danielle McCray of the women’s team, and Tyshawn Taylor of the men’s ...
Dreaming of the Olympics
We may be excited for football season, but let's not forget the ...
Rowing team heads to Texas
The team will compete in its first official regatta of the season.
2K11 offers gamers first-time experience
A new game allows video players the chance to match up legendary ...
Blog: An American guide to European soccer ...
Sam Kovzan compares Europe's more notable soccer clubs to American sports franchises
U.S. could make sixth straight cup appearance ...
The U.S. team hopes to rebuild after a disappointing appearance in 2006.
Brew: One-and-done rule should be reconsidered
The NBA requires student athletes to attend one year of college before ...
Morning Brew: NBA still lacking respect
Thibodeaux discusses why people don’t watch the NBA and why they should.
Thibodeaux: NBA Finals still in reach for ...
Mario Chalmers and Paul Pierce have the best chance of making it ...
Morning Brew: A look at Jayhawks in ...
Women’s basketball has eye on the prize
Coach Henrickson and players are optimistic team can make it far into ...
A run to remember
Former Jayhawk Billy Mills won the impossible gold in the 10-k race ...
Gameday: August 30, 2008
Get ready for the game against Florida International.
Top 10 players in Kansas basketball history
Find out who the top 10 players in Kansas basketball history are.
Wiebe: This year’s Showdown is most important
Kansan columnist Andrew Wiebe looks at the history of the Border Showdown ...
Just how good is Kevin Durant?
The Texas freshman is being compared to Kansas great Danny Manning. See ...
Jayhawks prepare to battle Radford
Kansas must keep NBA-caliber big man Parakhouski in check in order to ...
Padway: Amid tragedies, sports bring Americans together
Chants of “U.S.A” during the Phillies-Mets game reminded fans of sports’ uniting ...
Big 12 Media Day: Overview of Big ...
See how next Football seasons looks before it starts.
Kansan Departments
Your guide to surviving the week.
KC Wizards to play Manchester United
English team Manchester United will bring some of the world’s best soccer ...
Davis: NBA beats NHL hands down
Quarterback battle at Texas Tech
New club softball team plays first game ...
Team will face Haskell Indian Nations University’s varsity squad after a week ...
Jenks: Lebron's decision makes basketball sense
Lebron James did what any smart business man would do.
Brew: Soccer leagues entice fans to keep ...
Soccer leagues around the world use a format that keeps fans watching ...
Jorgensen: Royals give fans no hope
For most, the start of the baseball season is an exciting time. ...
Profiling the legends: Owens and Brown
A brief synopsis of Ted Owens and Larry Brown's tenures at Kansas.
Blog: Jayhawks' toughness bodes well for team
Bill Self's least talented team at Kansas may be his toughest.
Brew: Handing out awards of my own
Don't be afraid to hand out your own awards while the NBA ...
Morning Brew: The top-five worst draft picks ...
A look into the past at some of sports worst draft picks.
Hinrich and Collison to return to Allen ...
Fans of KU basketball and the NBA can look forward to the ...
Kansas shows promising amount of talent
The sky is the limit for men's basketball if the team lives ...
Familiar faces from the Heat and Thunder ...
Miami defeated Oklahoma City at the arena in Kansas City Friday evening.
Jayhawk rookies starting to shine in NBA
Rush, Chalmers look to All-Stars for guidance in NBA
Championship team returns to court
This weekend, about 230 former players, coaches and managers will be at ...
Weekend regatta adds to team’s experience, improvements
The rowing team had an impressive showing last weekend at the Southern ...
Morning Brew: Tiger Woods’ birthday ages me, ...
‘Nothing makes you feel older than watching your childhood sports heroes age.’
Fusco: 2008 men's basketball team beat the ...
They might not be Cinderella, but the men of this team overcame ...
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
KUnited presidential candidate Libby Johnson and vice presidential ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID