Netflix to premiere ‘The Redeem Team’ on Oct. 7: The story of the 2008 US Men’s basketball team
Desperate to avenge the losses of 2004 and 2006, Team USA entered the 2004 Olympics with one thing in mind: win the gold medal.
From the creators of Netflix’s now famous ‘The Last Dance,’ comes another look into the storied world of basketball history, only this time the focus is on Olympic glory.
Netflix to release “Redeem Team” in October
With the circulation of a new trailer, Netflix has confirmed the release of a special documentary entitled “Redeem Team.” The show will follow the assembly of the 2008 USA Olympic basketball team and the games that they played enroute to a gold medal as they fought to avenge the infamous losses of the the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2006 FIBA World Cup. Set to premier on October 7th, fans will be treated to an intimate look at the likes of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony in a series interviews. Even more interesting, is the fact that the documentary will give us a look at never-before-seen footage of the late and great Kobe Bryant in a one-on-one. Bryant who was Team USA captain, tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in 2020.
“Redeem Team” is the story basketball fans wanted to see
Team USA fans will remember well the anger and frustration following their Olympic failure in 2004 and then subsequent debacle in 2006′s FIBA World Cup. Indeed, it was that drive for redemption and revenge that led to assembly of the 2008 US Men’s Olympic basketball team. A team that had everything to lose and everything to prove. Netflix’s documentary attempts to give the untold story of what happened after that horrendous loss in 2004 and moreover how the players dealt with the doubts about whether the NBA truly boasted the best basketballers in the world. From there, the show examines how once again the Americans were met with defeat in 2006 which in turn sparked the move towards creating a team that simply could not lose.
Kobe and Coach K led the way
With a little more than two years since his tragic death, fans will be happy to see previously unaired footage of Kobe Bryant. From the US Olympic program’s decision to select Bryant as the team’s captain, to the appointment of Duke’s legendary ‘Coach K,’ Mike Krzyzewski, it was clear that the pair were united in their refusal to accept anything but the best from their charges. Who better to lead the American team to Olympic glory, than the most talented player of his generation, alongside one of the greatest coaching minds that basketball had ever seen?
What came next for Team USA?
The first step was of course to assemble the team, but as any sports fan knows, wins are always easy on paper. With that said, Team USA got off to a quick and solid start with five straight wins in the preliminary round of the Olympics. Up next was talented and tricky Australia, but ultimately the Americans proved to be superior. From there the US asserted its dominance with a twenty-point win against Argentina coming just two days later. As a result of that win, their ticket to the Gold Medal game against Spain was booked. In the end, American blushes were spared when in dramatic fashion Team USA defeated Spain by a score of 118-107 after a tightly contested affair. It wasn’t just a medal, but a moment in which Kobe and Co. returned the United States to where they were before and have been ever since, on top of the global game of basketball.
A friendly reminder: Netflix’s “Redeem Team” will air on Friday 7th of October 2022.