Winning an Olympic Gold is a dream every professional athlete holds close to their heart. In basketball, for a team USA player, it almost appeared to be a birthright, though. Years of dominance, however, came to an end, and collective outrage followed.
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It was then that the USA decided to create the Redeem Team. With a new set of young stars setting the league ablaze, USA Basketball decided to go on a recruitment drive that would match the star power of the Dream Team.
The final roster comprised the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade and was loaded with talent. And among these stars, Dwyane Wade delivered a scintillating individual performance in the gold medal game to guarantee the honors.
However, a few months before the tournament, Wade wasn’t a certain bet to make the team. The superstar guard was struggling with injuries and was shut down by the Miami Heat the season prior.
The journey to recovery and the Redeem Team was tough and involved a lot of struggles, Wade revealed.
How did Wade describe his road to recovery and his Dream Team involvement?
USA Basketball had initiated the preparation of the Redeem Team a few years prior to the Olympics. A carefully planned approach was deemed to have been required to avenge recent embarrassment.
Such preparations included identifying who would play a starring role in the 2008 Olympics. Dwyane Wade was a name right on top of that list. The young guard was at the peak of his powers and was arguably the best player in the league as he led the Heat to their first championship in 2006.
However, things took a sharp turn. Injuries and form meant that Wade wasn’t a shoo-in anymore. In fact, Wade even had to attend two tryouts to make the final cut, by his own admission.
The whole process was extremely strenuous and stressful, as Wade describes it. Wade admits how he took being one of “the guys” of the team to being a tryout candidate to his ego. The Heat star also mentions how he didn’t take lightly to being excluded from the discussion for featuring in the team in the build-up to the big event.
With Kobe also being included in the team in “his role”, Wade admits to having been concerned. The Heat star even went as much as questioning his fit in the team at that point.
The process clearly hurt Wade. And it seems that it was all of these emotions that channeled into some incredible showings in Beijing. The Flash was on a tear at Beijing and lit up teams with his brilliance.
Wade finished the tournament as Team USA’s top scorer, averaging 16 points, four rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. The Heat phenom had some personal redemption to make too.
How did Wade perform in the now-iconic gold medal game in 2008?
In his personal redemption tour, Wade left the best for the end. In the gold medal game against a highly competitive Spain side that wouldn’t go away, The Flash delivered a masterclass.
The shooting guard dropped 27 points on the Spaniards to go with a couple of assists too. At a time when Team USA needed momentum, Wade delivered in a bountiful.
The Heat star’s dominance wasn’t limited to the offensive end either. DWade put up a defensive clinic and ended the game with four steals to go with his stellar offensive numbers.
The guard elevated himself right back to the status he enjoyed pre-injuries. Two more championships and multiple memorable moments followed. Wade County became a reality, and DWade retired a legend for both Team USA and the Miami Heat.
Also read: LeBron James’ Redeem team or Michael Jordan’s Dream team? Mike Krzyzewski shares his two cents
