It was obvious that the 2008 Olympic team was initially missing a key ingredient: the best player in the world and one of the NBA's greatest assassins in one Kobe Bryant. Coach K realized this when the US team failed to get to the Finals in the 2006 FIBA tournament. The team already had many key personnel in Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony, but none of these guys were killers.
Jerry Colangelo noticed the immediate impact that Kobe had in their very first practice as Kobe set the tone by going after every loose ball that came his way. Kobe let the team know that just because you're a collection of some of the best players in the world, doesn't mean that you don't have to put in the work. Kobe knew what was at stake, and he wasn't going to allow this team to fail again, and that meant that he had to set the tone and be the example.
After an evening of partying in Vegas, a group of players were returning to the hotel after being up and out for most of the night. Kobe was already heading down to the gym to work out. The players were initially dumbfounded because-while they'd heard about his work ethic-they'd never seen it. And they realized that Kobe was for real. One by one, they began to join Kobe in the early dawn hours to get in the work. Thus, Kobe set the stage for the rest of the team.
Some stories were left out of the documentary, such as Kobe going for 40-mile bike rides early in the morning, and Kobe going to Coach K asking to let him guard the best perimeter player on every, single international team. Kobe told him, "Let me do this, and I'll destroy whoever I guard!" This was especially true against Argentina when he hounded Ginobili before Ginobili went down with an injury.
Kobe showed the team that the mindset is everything and that you have to be willing to put in the work. Before Kobe showed up, it was clear that the team didn't do this, and they also took the international teams for granted, which is why they kept losing. Even the bitterness of defeat in 2004 and 2006 hadn't changed them. But, while Kobe was setting the tone for a better work ethic, the team was setting a tone for Kobe so that he could actually relax and have some fun. Some journalists reported that they had never seen that side of Kobe until he joined the 2008 team.
And then, of course, there's Kobe's assassin mode; that he's willing to do whatever it takes to win a game. This is something that many of his teammates failed to fully comprehend. He showed them when he told them that he was going to dump Pau Gasol in the first game against Spain. Lebron and Carmelo thought he was insane to do that to a teammate. They failed to understand that once you step on the court, we're not friends anymore. Magic Johnson said that to best friend Isiah Thomas at the start of the 1988 NBA finals, and Kobe understood that. And, of course, he knocked Pau Gasol to the floor by running right through the screen. Lebron said, "Okay, this guy's for real, and there's no way we're losing this game now!" Kobe has said that Pau was his all-time favorite teammate, but when you're on the opposite side of the court, Kobe was willing to do whatever it took, and he let Gasol and his own teammates know that.
Without Kobe Bryant, I'm almost positive that the US would have lost the gold medal game. Coach K stated that Kobe was personally responsible for the team's last 18 points or so, either by scoring himself or getting an assist. And hitting that clutch 3-point play plus the foul was Kobe letting Spain and his team know, we're not losing today. I won't allow it. And even more so, Kobe lived for moments like that, and he never shied away from them. Even as Spain kept crawling back and nerves were creeping in, he kept telling his teammates, "Don't look at the score. Just focus on the play in front of you."
Footage of Kobe and Gigi still hits hard today, but it was extra sweet to see the two of them together, and I thought that birthday party that the team threw for Kobe was a great gesture.
You also get a taste of Kobe's popularity in China. 1500 Chinese fans paid upwards of $10,000 a person, in some cases, to fly to Los Angeles and be there for Kobe's final game. He visited China every year to promote his basketball camps as well as give lectures about life and how to live. It's no wonder they loved him so much. The number of fans gathering outside of his hotel was like fans gathering for Michael Jackson. I'm sure that his beloved fans in China who were able to attend a US basketball game during the Olympics will never forget it. There are plenty of touching and endearing videos of Kobe, his interactions with the Chinese, and the impact he left over there.
The Redeem Team is a good documentary. It's not perfect as a number of things were omitted, but it's certainly good enough, and I got chills the moment Coach K says, "We needed some older players," and look who comes down the hallway, but none other than Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant didn't just show his teammates what it takes to achieve a goal. He showed the world what it takes and why finding your passion is the first step toward success. Not the last. You have to be willing to put in the work, and if you do, there's nothing you can't accomplish. And Kobe didn't just talk the talk, he proved it on the court, and in his later years, even off the court. He was, indeed, instrumental in helping the US redeem itself and rise back to the top of the basketball world.
Jerry Colangelo noticed the immediate impact that Kobe had in their very first practice as Kobe set the tone by going after every loose ball that came his way. Kobe let the team know that just because you're a collection of some of the best players in the world, doesn't mean that you don't have to put in the work. Kobe knew what was at stake, and he wasn't going to allow this team to fail again, and that meant that he had to set the tone and be the example.
After an evening of partying in Vegas, a group of players were returning to the hotel after being up and out for most of the night. Kobe was already heading down to the gym to work out. The players were initially dumbfounded because-while they'd heard about his work ethic-they'd never seen it. And they realized that Kobe was for real. One by one, they began to join Kobe in the early dawn hours to get in the work. Thus, Kobe set the stage for the rest of the team.
Some stories were left out of the documentary, such as Kobe going for 40-mile bike rides early in the morning, and Kobe going to Coach K asking to let him guard the best perimeter player on every, single international team. Kobe told him, "Let me do this, and I'll destroy whoever I guard!" This was especially true against Argentina when he hounded Ginobili before Ginobili went down with an injury.
Kobe showed the team that the mindset is everything and that you have to be willing to put in the work. Before Kobe showed up, it was clear that the team didn't do this, and they also took the international teams for granted, which is why they kept losing. Even the bitterness of defeat in 2004 and 2006 hadn't changed them. But, while Kobe was setting the tone for a better work ethic, the team was setting a tone for Kobe so that he could actually relax and have some fun. Some journalists reported that they had never seen that side of Kobe until he joined the 2008 team.
And then, of course, there's Kobe's assassin mode; that he's willing to do whatever it takes to win a game. This is something that many of his teammates failed to fully comprehend. He showed them when he told them that he was going to dump Pau Gasol in the first game against Spain. Lebron and Carmelo thought he was insane to do that to a teammate. They failed to understand that once you step on the court, we're not friends anymore. Magic Johnson said that to best friend Isiah Thomas at the start of the 1988 NBA finals, and Kobe understood that. And, of course, he knocked Pau Gasol to the floor by running right through the screen. Lebron said, "Okay, this guy's for real, and there's no way we're losing this game now!" Kobe has said that Pau was his all-time favorite teammate, but when you're on the opposite side of the court, Kobe was willing to do whatever it took, and he let Gasol and his own teammates know that.
Without Kobe Bryant, I'm almost positive that the US would have lost the gold medal game. Coach K stated that Kobe was personally responsible for the team's last 18 points or so, either by scoring himself or getting an assist. And hitting that clutch 3-point play plus the foul was Kobe letting Spain and his team know, we're not losing today. I won't allow it. And even more so, Kobe lived for moments like that, and he never shied away from them. Even as Spain kept crawling back and nerves were creeping in, he kept telling his teammates, "Don't look at the score. Just focus on the play in front of you."
Footage of Kobe and Gigi still hits hard today, but it was extra sweet to see the two of them together, and I thought that birthday party that the team threw for Kobe was a great gesture.
You also get a taste of Kobe's popularity in China. 1500 Chinese fans paid upwards of $10,000 a person, in some cases, to fly to Los Angeles and be there for Kobe's final game. He visited China every year to promote his basketball camps as well as give lectures about life and how to live. It's no wonder they loved him so much. The number of fans gathering outside of his hotel was like fans gathering for Michael Jackson. I'm sure that his beloved fans in China who were able to attend a US basketball game during the Olympics will never forget it. There are plenty of touching and endearing videos of Kobe, his interactions with the Chinese, and the impact he left over there.
The Redeem Team is a good documentary. It's not perfect as a number of things were omitted, but it's certainly good enough, and I got chills the moment Coach K says, "We needed some older players," and look who comes down the hallway, but none other than Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant didn't just show his teammates what it takes to achieve a goal. He showed the world what it takes and why finding your passion is the first step toward success. Not the last. You have to be willing to put in the work, and if you do, there's nothing you can't accomplish. And Kobe didn't just talk the talk, he proved it on the court, and in his later years, even off the court. He was, indeed, instrumental in helping the US redeem itself and rise back to the top of the basketball world.