“Drive That B**ch!”: LeBron James, Following Kobe Bryant’s Missed Deep 3 on the ‘Redeem Team’, Yelled at Him to Be More Aggressive

In 2008, the United States assembled a star-studded roster to take back the Gold at the Beijing Olympics after having to settle for a Bronze in the previous edition of the competition. Nicknamed the Redeem Team, the squad reminded fans of the 1992 Dream Team and featured superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. At the time, they were undeniably the two best players in the NBA and were therefore, expected to lead Team USA to victory. Recently, a rare footage has resurfaced showing how King James and the Mamba communicated during the games to motivate the team.

LeBron and Kobe actually developed some decent chemistry during their time on the Redeem Team. Early on, while the players were still getting comfortable with each other, Bron was the one who acted as the glue to bind everybody together with his hilarious antics. He was the only one capable of getting a smile out of the usually stoic Bryant. And it seems like he even got the best out of Kobe on the hardwood as well.

Leaked footage of LeBron James screaming at Kobe Bryant surfaces online

The 2008 Olympic Finals in basketball were quite the spectacle. Featuring stars like Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony, the Americans were the heavy favorites to win it all. But the primary reason they were expected to bring home the Gold was their two leaders. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were not only the top two players on the team, but on the entire planet.

They helped the team all the way to the Gold Medal match where they faced off against Spain. However, despite their experience, things got a bit nervy during the game. So much so, that the Black Mamba shot a bad three-point attempt at one point in time. This did not sit well with King James who proceeded to yell at him.

He warned Kobe to watch the shots he was taking and to be mindful that they have three fouls to give up. So, rather than putting up tough shots, it would be easier to drive to the basket and go for the easy points. LeBron could be heard saying:

“Watch the shots that you’re taking motherf*cker… Drive that b*tch! We got 3 team fouls. We’re ok.”

Fortunately, this form of “motivation” worked in Team USA’s favor. Living up to their name as the Redeem Team, Kobe, LeBron, and Co. won the Gold for the United States, redeeming their previous failure at the 2004 Olympics in Greece. It was a huge moment for the nation, as they once again established themselves as the top dog in the sport.

Kobe and LeBron were confident that the Redeem Team could best the 1992 Dream Team

The Redeem Team truly housed a special group of players. What they accomplished at the Beijing Olympics had many hurling them into a debate against the 1992 Dream Team. A team that also had a load of superstars including the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Larry Bird.

As such, following their victory in Beijing, the media and fans around the world started going back and forth. Who would win? The Redeem Team or the Dream Team? Well, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James got in on the conversation and let it be known that they were confident they would prevail over MJ and company.

LeBron James: “The ’92 Dream Team paved the way for all of us … We understand what they did for our game, but we also are big-time competitors as well, so if we got the opportunity to play them in a game we feel like we would win, too.”

It certainly is a take that has only furthered the debate and made things even more heated. But, that’s the fun of basketball. We will never know who would actually come out on top, but it sure is intriguing to hypothesize about the possibilities.