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US “REDEEM TEAM” DREAM REALIZED
The 2006 FIBA World Champion Spanish
squad brought its best effort to make sure
the "Redeem Team" didn't coast through
the gold medal game, but the United States
still prevailed 118-107 to win back the gold
medal on August 24.
page 46 | 34 2008 | Fiba Assist Magazine
the world
in brief
"Spain gave us our first test," said United
States guard Deron Williams. Both sides
racked up fouls early on, which seemed to
stunt the defensive patterns of the United
States more than Spain, who effectively
contained the US side and even outscored
in the paint 56-50.
Guard Kobe Bryant admits he got into foul
trouble and had to play more cautiously.
"But, in the fourth quarter, Coach K [US
coach Mike Krzyzewski] told me to let that
“Mamba” [the nickname of Bryant] loose,"
he said, "and that's what I tried to do. "
High-scorer Dwayne Wade said even if
star players like Bryant and LeBron James
were held back by personal fouls, Team
USA was not dependent on any one man.
"We're very deep, one through 12," he said.
"It's about the whole team. This feels
great. We haven't won in eight years. A
lot of people doubted that NBA stars could
play together. "
Bryant was playing against his Los Angeles
Lakers teammate Pau Gasol in this
game, and when the buzzer sounded he
made sure to give Gasol a hug. "I love him
like a brother. I truthfully wish we were
playing someone else in the finals. "
Spain's Alex Mumbru says his team played
100 percent and had nothing else to give.
"This has been the greatest match of the
last years. Everyone is saying that. It will
be a historical match and we want people
to remember this Spanish team for a long
while," said Mumbru. With this win, both
teams have players reaching a historic
mark. US captain Jason Kidd becomes
the 13th men's basketball player to win
two gold medals, and Spain's 17-year-old
guard Ricky Rubio becomes the youngest
player to ever win an Olympic Men's Basketball
medal. Rubio had six points and six
rebounds in Sunday's gold medal game.
In the bronze medal game, a 20-point haul
from Carlos Delfino steered an Argentina
to an 87-75 victory over Lithuania. Delfino
pulled a game-high 10 rebounds and
picked up the offensive load for the defending
Olympic champions, who were
minus their inspirational lead Manu Ginobili
due to an ankle injury.
Argentina went into the first break ahead
24-21, but it was a succession of threepoint
shots midway through the second by
Leonardo Martin Gutierrez, Alfredo Paolo
Quinteros and Andres Nocioni that proved
decisive and gave the team a 44-31 lead.
Lithuania would never recover from that
moment, the deficit growing to 24 at one
stage in the third quarter. Captain Ramu