The 2008 United States Olympic Men’s Basketball Team — otherwise known as The Redeem Team — along with former Los Angeles Lakers veterans Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony were among the 17 finalists named for the 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction class.
The Redeem Team is considered one of the greatest collections of talent in the history of basketball. After a poor showing at the 2004 Olympics in Greece — the USMNBT netted the bronze medal — the nation wanted to bounce back in Beijing.
Head coach Mike Kryzyzewski assembled a roster led by Lakers legend Kobe Bryant along with superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Anthony, Howard, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and Jason Kidd, with Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd and Carlos Boozer to round out the roster.
The Redeem Team went a perfect 5-0 in group play, winning by an average margin of 32.2 points. Their dominance continued in the Knockout Rounds, defeating Australia by 31, Argentina by 20 and Spain in the Gold Medal game by 11. They never won a game by fewer than 11 points.
Two of the members of that team with ties to the Lakers are also finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame in Howard and Anthony. Howard, the vaunted big man, has one of the best resumes of the 2000s and had one of the greatest stretches by a center in NBA history. In five seasons from 2007-11 with the Orlando Magic, Howard won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, was All-NBA First Team all five years and finished top seven in MVP voting all five years.
He led the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009, where he faced Bryant’s Lakers and ultimately lost. Howard later had three separate single-season tenures in L.A. The first (2012-13) was a messy showing, where the big 3 of Bryant, Howard and Steve Nash stumbled out of the gates and never recovered.
In 2019-20, Howard returned and was an instrumental piece in the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship. He played his final NBA season, 2021-22, with the Lakers as well in what was another disastrous season, though at no fault of Howard’s.
Anthony’s lone Lakers season was that same 2021-22 campaign, his last in the NBA as well. Carmelo did not have an incredibly high peak like Dwight, but he was one of the game’s most consistent scorers for over a decade. He averaged 20.8 points per game or more in 14 consecutive seasons, being named to 10 All-Star teams and six All-NBA teams in that span.
Full List of Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists
These Finalists are put forward to the Honors Committee to be considered for election as members of the Class of 2025. The new class will be announced in San Antonio on Saturday, April 5, at the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
North American Committee Finalists
2008 US Olympic Men’s Basketball Team
Carmelo Anthony [Player] Danny Crawford [Referee] Billy Donovan [Coach] Mark Few [Coach] Dwight Howard [Player] Marques Johnson [Player] Jerry Welsh [Coach] Buck Williams [Player]
Women’s Committee Finalists
Jennifer Azzi [Player] Sue Bird [Player] Sylvia Fowles [Player] Maya Moore [Player]
Women’s Veteran Committee Finalist
Molly Bolin [Player]
International Committee Finalist
Dušan Ivković [Coach]
Contributors Committee Finalists
Micky Arison
Tal Brody
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