The Redeem Team

Just finished watching the USA men's basketball team, a/k/a "the Redeem Team," win their first Olympic game against the men's national team from China. It has been said that this was the most-watched game in the history of basketball. And I set my alarm and woke up this morning with the express purpose of watching this game.

And what a game it was! The first half was a nail-biter; I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, as China hit 3-point shot after 3-point shot, and the Redeem Team kept in the game with solid interior defense and athletic play on the offensive end. And even sitting by myself in my apartment at the Double-Deuce & Spruce, I could just feel the intensity and excitement through the television screen. The game really had the electricity of an NBA finals game 7.

In the second half, Team USA pulled away from China by relentlessly applying pressure defense, oftentimes leading to steals or defensive rebounds off of bad shots, and by pushing the ball up the court in order to take advantage of its greater speed, athleticism, and deeper bench. For me, the most exciting aspect of the game was seeing the NBA's three most dynamic and athletic scorers (with the possible exception of Iverson) on the court at the same time and playing with notable chemistry and selflessless; the three stars, of course: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dywayne Wade. All 3 looked fast, strong, and sharp, as individuals and as teammates.

There were so many amazing plays. But the one that stood out to me as totally sick was a fast-break where Kobe was handling the ball, and just after he crossed the elbow on the right-wing, he flipped the ball up in the air with his left hand, and LeBron elevated over a Chinese player, and simultaneously grabbed the ball in mid-air with his right hand and, in one decisive motion, slammed the ball through -- and I mean through -- the hoop, with the Chinese player still standing on the floor beneath him. Let me tell you: It. Was. Sick. After that play, the screen flashed to a shot of President Bush in the stands, and he looked thoroughly impressed.

This was the first time that I'd had a chance to see the Redeem Team play. I was happy to see how well they played together, even while I can see that they have some room for improvement. But, all in all, I can definitely say that that game made me proud to be from the United States, undoubtedly still the world's most dominant country in basketball.