Team USA faced no pushback from Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and other NBA stars when it was completing the roster for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Four years earlier in Athens, the U.S. men’s basketball team suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of Argentina in the semifinals, failing to win the tournament following three straight gold medals in Sydney, Atlanta, and Barcelona. After Team USA ended up with bronze in 2004, it also finished third at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
The two disappointing results led to a mobilization of NBA stars ahead of the Games in Beijing with the squad earning a fitting name: the Redeem Team. The likes of Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony teamed up and eventually reclaimed the Olympic gold for the U.S., beating Pau and Marc Gasol and their Spain 118-107 in the final.
To retell the story of that iconic group, Netflix has made a documentary titled “The Redeem Team,” which will premiere on Oct. 7. And the streaming platform has just dropped the first trailer for the movie in which the players describe the mindset that accompanied them on the trip to China:
The Redeem Team (led by Kobe Bryant @KingJames @DwyaneWade & @carmeloanthony) is the untold story of the 2008 US Men’s Olympic basketball team who had everything to lose — and everything to prove.
The Redeem Team premieres October 7 pic.twitter.com/6YPv9pihkn
— Netflix (@netflix) September 13, 2022
The trailer shows Team USA’s attempts to make a coherent team out of the great NBA players with big personalities the coaches had called up. A big part of their efforts included inviting Bryant to join in. The Lakers legend is seen reminding the team about the importance of doing the “dirty work” to win games.
Anthony recalled how he enjoyed seeing Bryant motivate his teammates to leave everything on the court. “Kobe said, ‘I’m tired of watching y’all lose.’ I’m like, I love this energy,” Anthony said.
“This is what we need.”
James and Wade co-executive produced the documentary, directed by “The Last Dance” showrunner Jon Weinbach. The movie includes footage from the past 70 years of Olympic basketball thanks to Netflix’s collaboration with the International Olympic Committee’s TV service.
’The Redeem Team’ to bring viewers ‘directly inside team’
Olympic Channel Services general manager Mark Parkman says the documentary will give the audience a very nuanced insight into the making of the team that won the Olympic gold in Beijing.
“‘The Redeem Team’ represents the very best of what the Olympics are all about,” Parkman said.
“This film will bring viewers directly inside that team and the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 by showcasing the personality and dynamics of a special group of superstars who came.”
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