"Redeem Team" redirects here. For the documentary, see The Redeem Team (film).
2008 United States Men's Olympic Basketball TeamThe USA Men's Basketball Team on August 10, 2008.Head coachMike Krzyzewski2008 Summer OlympicsScoring leader Dwyane Wade 16.0Rebounding leader Chris Bosh 6.9Assists leader Chris Paul 4.0← 20042012 →
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.[1] Kobe Bryant was named the team captain and Mike Krzyzewski was named the head coach of the 2008 team.[2] An ESPN program, Road to Redemption, followed the team's preparations. Additionally, a Netflix produced documentary titled The Redeem Team was released in 2022.[3]
In preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics, head coach Mike Krzyzewski—who has a military background as a graduate of the United States Military Academy—emphasized discipline, unity, and purpose within the team. During training camp, Krzyzewski invited a U.S. Army general to speak with the players, accompanied by a soldier who had survived a grenade explosion, resulting in the loss of his eyesight. The intent of this meeting was to instill a sense of perspective and shared commitment among the players. By exposing the team to the sacrifices made by service members, Coach Krzyzewski aimed to reinforce the importance of selflessness, teamwork, and playing for a cause greater than themselves. The emotional and motivational session served as a pivotal moment in fostering camaraderie, sharpening the team’s competitive mindset, and strengthening their resolve to succeed together on the global stage.[4]
Team USA defeated its opponents by an erage of 27.9 points.[5] The United States defeated Spain 118–107 in the final to win the gold. Dwyane Wade was the leading scorer for team USA eraging 16 points per game.[6]
In September 2025, the entire team will be 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.[7] With the pending Hall of Fame inductions, 4 players and two coaches he been inducted individually into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Record[edit] Main article: United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics § Basketball Preliminary round[edit] Main article: Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament § Group BThe team competed in Group B of the preliminary round.
Pos Teamvte Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification 1 United States 5 5 0 515 354 +161 10 Quarterfinals 2 Spain 5 4 1 418 369 +49 9 3 Greece 5 3 2 415 375 +40 8 4 China (H) 5 2 3 366 400 −34 7 5 Germany 5 1 4 330 390 −60 6 6 Angola 5 0 5 321 477 −156 5 Source: FIBA archiveRules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal erage; 4) head-to-head number of points scored.(H) Hosts August 10, 2008 United States 101 – 70 China August 12, 2008 Angola 76 – 97 United States August 14, 2008 United States 92 – 69 Greece August 16, 2008 Spain 82 – 119 United States August 18, 2008 United States 106 – 57 Germany Tournament bracket[edit] Main article: Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament § Knockout round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final A1 Lithuania 94 B4 China 68 A1 Lithuania 86 B2 Spain 91 B2 Spain 72 A3 Croatia 59 B2 Spain 107 B1 United States 118 B1 United States 116 A4 Australia 85 B1 United States 101 Bronze medal game A2 Argentina 81 A2 Argentina 80 A1 Lithuania 75 B3 Greece 78 A2 Argentina 87 Roster[edit]The following is the United States roster in the men's basketball tournament of the 2008 Summer Olympics.[8]
United States men's national basketball team – 2008 Summer Olympics roster Players Coaches Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. F 4 Carlos Boozer 26 – (1981-11-20)November 20, 1981 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Utah Jazz G 5 Jason Kidd 35 – (1973-03-23)March 23, 1973 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Dallas Mericks F 6 LeBron James 23 – (1984-12-30)December 30, 1984 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Cleveland Caliers G 7 Deron Williams 24 – (1984-06-26)June 26, 1984 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Utah Jazz G 8 Michael Redd 28 – (1979-08-24)August 24, 1979 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Milwaukee Bucks G 9 Dwyane Wade 26 – (1982-01-17)January 17, 1982 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Miami Heat G 10 Kobe Bryant (C) 29 – (1978-08-23)August 23, 1978 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Los Angeles Lakers C 11 Dwight Howard 22 – (1985-12-08)December 8, 1985 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Orlando Magic F/C 12 Chris Bosh 24 – (1984-03-24)March 24, 1984 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Toronto Raptors G 13 Chris Paul 23 – (1985-05-06)May 6, 1985 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) New Orleans Hornets F 14 Tayshaun Prince 28 – (1980-02-28)February 28, 1980 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Detroit Pistons F 15 Carmelo Anthony 24 – (1984-05-29)May 29, 1984 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Denver Nuggets Head coach Mike Krzyzewski Assistant coach(es) Jim Boeheim Nate McMillan Mike D'Antoni Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes lastclub before the tournament Age – describes ageon August 9, 2008 References[edit] ^ "USA BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES 12-MEMBER 2008 MEN'S SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM". teamusa.org. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. ^ Sean Gregory (July 24, 2008). "1. LeBron James - 100 Olympic Athletes To Watch". Time. Time Magazine. Retrieved November 18, 2018. ^ The Redeem Team (Documentary). ^ "The Redeem Team (film)", Wikipedia, June 16, 2025, retrieved July 28, 2025 ^ Schwager-Patel, Nischal (April 6, 2025). "USA's Beijing 2008 'Redeem Team' inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame". Olympics.com. The International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on July 31, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025. ^ "2008 Stats - United States". ^ "Bird, Moore, Anthony, Donovan top '25 Basketball Hall of Fame class". ESPN.com. Associated Press (via ESPN). Retrieved April 5, 2025. ^ "2008 Olympic Basketball Men (FIBA) – United States roster". FIBA. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2012. External links[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States men's national basketball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. USA Basketball, official site The Redeem Team, 2022 Netflix documentary vteUnited States men's national basketball teamOlympic Games Results 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 Final 1976 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 FIBA World Cup Results 1950 1954 1959 1963 1967 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 Final 2014 Final 2019 2023 In culture Team USA Basketball (video game) vteUnited States men's basketball squad – 2008 Summer Olympics – Gold medal 4 Boozer 5 Kidd 6 James 7 Williams 8 Redd 9 Wade 10 Bryant 11 Howard 12 Bosh 13 Paul 14 Prince 15 Anthony Coach: Krzyzewski vteNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame membersPlayersGuards R. Allen Archibald Barnett Beckman Belov Billups Bing S. Bird Blazejowski Borgmann Braun Brennan Bryant Carter Cervi Cheeks Clayton Cooper-Dyke Cousy Dampier Dies Drexler Dumars Edwards Endacott Frazier Friedman Galis Gervin Ginóbili Goodrich Greer Grentz Guerin Hammon Hanson Hardaway Haynes Holman Hyatt Isaacs Iverson Jeannette Jenkins D. Johnson M. Johnson K. Jones S. Jones Jordan Kidd Lieberman Marich Marcari Marčiulionis Martin McDermott McGrady D. McGuire Meyers R. Miller Moncrief Monroe P. Moore C. Murphy Nash Page Parker Payton Petrović Phillip Posey Richmond Robertson Rodgers Roosma J. Russell Schommer Scott Sedran Sharman K. Smith Staley Steinmetz Stockton Swoopes Thomas D. Thompson Timms Vandivier Wade Wanzer Weatherspoon West Westphal Whalen J. White Wilkens Woodard Wooden Forwards Anthony Arizin Augustus Barkley Barry Baylor L. Bird Bosh Boswell Bradley R. Brown Cash Catchings C. Cooper M. Cooper Cunningham Curry Dalipagić Dandridge Dantley Dis DeBusschere Dehnert Duncan English Erving Foster Fulks Gale Garnett Gasol Gates Gola Hagan Hlicek Hawkins Hayes Haywood Heinsohn Hill Howell Hudson L. Jackson G. Johnson B. Jones King Korać Kukoč Lucas Luisetti K. Malone McClain B. McCracken J. McCracken McGinnis McHale Mikkelsen C. Miller M. Moore Mullin Nowitzki Pettit Pierce Pippen Pollard Pullins Radja Ramsey Rodman Schayes E. Schmidt O. Schmidt Stokes C. Thompson T. Thompson Twyman Walker Webber N. White Wilkes Wilkins Worthy Yardley Centers Abdul-Jabbar Barlow Beaty Bellamy Chamberlain T. Cooper Ćosić Cowens J. Crawford Daniels DeBernardi Divac Donovan Ewing Fowles Gallatin Gilmore Griffith Gruenig Harris-Stewart Houbregs Howard Issel Jackson W. Johnson Johnston M. Krause Kurland Lanier Leslie Lovellette Lapchick Macauley Maciel M. Malone McAdoo Meneghin Mikan Mourning S. Murphy Mutombo Olajuwon O'Neal Parish Reed Risen Robinson B. Russell Sabonis Sampson Semjonova Sikma Thurmond Unseld Wachter Wallace Walton Washington Yao Coaches Adelman Alexeeva P. Allen Anderson Auerbach Auriemma Barmore Barry Bess Blair Blood Boeheim L. Brown Calhoun Calipari Cann Carlson Carnesecca Carnevale Carril Case Chancellor Chaney Conradt Crum Daly Dean Díaz-Miguel Diddle Donovan Drake Driesell Ferrándiz Fitch Fitzsimmons Gaines Gamba Gardner Gaze Gill Gomelsky Gunter Hannum Harshman Haskins Hatchell Heinsohn Hickey Hixon Hobson Holzman Huggins Hughes Hurley Iba Izzo P. Jackson Julian Karl Keady Keaney Keogan Knight Krzyzewski Kundla Lambert Leonard Lewis Litwack Loeffler Lonborg Magee McCutchan McGraw A. McGuire F. McGuire McLendon Meanwell Meyer Miller B. Moore Mulkey Nelson Nikolić Novosel Olson Pitino Popovich Ramsay Redin Richardson Riley Rubini Rupp Rush B. Russell Ryan Sachs Self Sharman Shelton Sloan C. Smith D. Smith Stanley Stevens Stringer Summitt Sutton Tarkanian Taylor Teague J. Thompson Tomjanovich VanDerveer Wade Watts Wilkens G. Williams R. Williams Wooden Woolpert Wootten Wright Yow Contributors Abbott Ackerman Arison Attles Barksdale Baumann Bee Biasone H. Brown W. Brown Bunn Buss Clifton Colangelo Collins Costello Didson Douglas Duer Embry Fagan Fisher Fleisher Garfinkel Gitt Gottlieb Granik Gulick Harris Harrison Hearn Henderson Hepp Hickox Hinkle Irish M. Jackson Jernstedt R. Jones Kennedy Knight J. Krause Lemon Liston Lloyd Lobo McLendon Mokray Morgan Morgenweck Naismith Newell Newton J. O'Brien L. O'Brien Olsen Podoloff Porter Reling Reid Reinsdorf Ripley Sanders Saperstein Schabinger Simon St. John Stagg Stanković Steitz Stern Taylor Thorn Tower Trester Valvano Vitale Wells Welts West Wilke Winter Zollner Referees Betta D. Crawford Enright Evans Garretson Hepbron Hoyt Kennedy Leith Mihalik Nichols Nucatola Quigley Rudolph Shirley Strom Tobey Walsh Teams 1948–1982 Wayland Baptist women's teams 1956–57 Tennessee A&I State men's team 1957–58 Tennessee A&I State men's team 1958–59 Tennessee A&I State men's team 1960 United States men's Olympic team 1965–66 Texas Western men's team 1976 United States women's Olympic team 1992 United States men's Olympic team 2008 United States men's Olympic team All-American Red Heads Buffalo Germans The First Team Harlem Globetrotters Immaculata College New York Renaissance Original Celtics vteNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025Players Carmelo Anthony Sue Bird Sylvia Fowles Dwight Howard Maya Moore Coaches Billy Donovan Contributors Micky Arison Referees Danny Crawford Teams 2008 United States men's Olympic team vteUSA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year 1980: Thomas 1981: Boyle 1982: Rivers 1983: Jordan 1984: Jordan & Perkins 1985: Person 1986: Robinson 1987: Manning 1988: Majerle 1989: Johnson 1990: Mourning 1991: Laettner 1992: U.S. men's national team 1993: Finley 1994: O'Neal 1995: Allen 1996: Pippen 1997: Boykins 1998: Brand 1999: Payton 2000: Mourning 2001: Duhon 2002: Miller 2003: Duncan 2004: May & Paul 2005: Williams 2006: Anthony 2007: Kidd 2008: U.S. men's national team 2009: McAdoo 2010: Durant 2011: Parker 2012: James 2013: Gordon 2014: Irving 2015: Brunson 2016: Anthony & Durant 2017: Warney 2018: Hearn 2019: Hummel 2020: None 2021: Durant 2022: Flagg 2023: Peat 2024: Curry vteBasketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournamentTeams Angola Argentina Australia China Croatia Germany Greece Iran Lithuania Russia Spain United States Qualification 2006 World Championship Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania Qualifying Tournament vteSummer Olympics men's basketball tournament winners 1936: United States (USA) 1948: United States (USA) 1952: United States (USA) 1956: United States (USA) 1960: United States (USA) 1964: United States (USA) 1968: United States (USA) 1972: Soviet Union (URS) 1976: United States (USA) 1980: Yugoslia (YUG) 1984: United States (USA) 1988: Soviet Union (URS) 1992: United States (USA) 1996: United States (USA) 2000: United States (USA) 2004: Argentina (ARG) 2008: United States (USA) 2012: United States (USA) 2016: United States (USA) 2020: United States (USA) 2024: United States (USA)