Top facts about the U.S. stars of 'The Redeem Team'

Defeat was not an option for the USA men's basketball team at Beijing 2008.

Since the admission of NBA stars to the Olympic tournament, starting with the 'Dream Team' at Barcelona 1992, Team USA had swept all before them.

That aura of invincibility was destroyed at Athens 2004 where, after suffering group play defeats to Puerto Rico and Lithuania, USA lost to Argentina's 'Golden Generation' in the semi-finals before winning their rematch against Lithuania to take bronze.

In 2005, Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski, aka Coach K, was placed in charge of the USA men's basketball team as it tried to claim a first global success since Sydney 2000.

His first major tournament, the 2006 World Championships, only yielded a bronze medal with the star-studded squad going down to Greece in the semi-finals.

But two years later, with Kobe Bryant captaining the side and no repeat of the late withdrawals which hampered their Athens hopes, USA regained their gold in spectacular fashion.

That triumph has been immortalised in the first collaborative feature documentary film between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Netflix.

Entitled 'The Redeem Team' and executive produced by two key members of the squad who tasted defeat in Athens - LeBron James and Dwyane Wade - it features never-seen-before footage from the Olympic archives as well as new behind-the-scenes material from NBA Entertainment.

The documentary offers an original and fascinating portrait of team building which heralded the launch of a new era of Team USA men's basketball at the Olympic Games.

'The Redeem Team' will be launched worldwide on 7 October exclusively on Netflix.

Read on to find out more about the stars of USA's return to the summit of men's basketball.

Kobe Bryant (captain) #10

One of basketball's all-time greats, Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia but spent his entire NBA career at the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant, who went straight to the pro leagues from high school, was actually drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 at the request of the Lakers who wanted to trade center Vlade Divac so they could make an approach for free agent Shaquille O'Neal.

He became the youngest man to start an NBA game at 18 years and 158 days, and he and O'Neal led the Lakers, under head coach Phil Jackson, to three consecutive NBA Championships from 2000-2002.

The guard finally made his Team USA debut in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas, leading the team to a 10-0 record and a place at Beijing 2008.

To avoid a repeat of Athens 2004, USA Basketball had insisted on players committing early for the Games with Bryant one of eight members of that squad in Las Vegas going to China.

With FIBA rules dictating players can only wear jersey numbers between 4 and 15, Bryant chose number 10 - according to Pro Hoops Journal - as a nod to his time spent in Italy as a child.

When his father Joe moved to play for Sebastiani Rieti, young Kobe ended up playing football in the playground. In professional football, the 10 shirt is often worn by the playmaker or best attacking player of the team - think Pele, Maradona, Messi.

When Beijing 2008 came around, Bryant was the reigning NBA MVP although the Lakers came up short in the NBA Finals as they went down in six games to the Boston Celtics.

Bryant turned that disappointment into motivation inspiring the star-studded U.S. team as emotional leader.

'Black Mamba' showed great maturity in Beijing, despite a ligament injury to the pinkie finger on his shooting hand, racking up 15 points per game including his iconic three-pointer with just over three minutes remaining in the gold-medal game against Spain (followed by his finger over the lips gesture).

Bryant went on to win two more NBA titles (2009 and 2010) as well as a second Olympic gold at London 2012.

When he retired in 2016, he was third on the all-time points list and remains the highest scoring guard in NBA history.

He wrote an open letter entitled 'Dear Basketball' to announce his retirement which was later made into an Oscar-winning animated short film.

In January 2020, he was killed in a helicopter crash along with daughter Gianna and seven others. He was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame later that year with the All-Star MVP award renamed in his honour.

Carlos Boozer #4

Born in a military base in Germany but brought up in Alaska, Carlos Boozer was one of four members of the bronze-medal squad from Athens 2004.

Before his Olympic debut, he had just completed a controversial move from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Utah Jazz.

The power forward was more settled this time round, and had a familiar face in coach Mike Krzyzewski having won the NCAA title with Duke in 2001.

Boozer was not in the Americas Championship squad but his excellent performances in the 2007-08 NBA season, earning him a second All-Star selection, saw him make the Olympic roster after Amar'e Stoudemire pulled out citing fatigue.

He did not have a great deal of game time in Beijing, averaging under seven minutes per game and missing the final, although he did come up with six points and six rebounds in just nine minutes of USA's final group win over Germany.

Injuries, including one requiring knee surgery, hampered him after Beijing although he did enjoy some success after moving to the Chicago Bulls in 2010.

He was released by the Bulls in 2014 and spent one season at the LA Lakers before a short spell back in China at the Guangdong Southern Tigers. He announced his retirement from professional basketball in December 2017.

Jason Kidd #5

At 35, Jason Kidd was by the only 30-something in the Beijing squad and the only previous gold medallist having been victorious at Sydney 2000.

Injury saw him miss Athens 2004, but he was back in China where he was entrusted with starting duties despite the claims of Chris Paul and Deron Williams

Kidd played a more defensive role just as he had done in the previous year's Americas Championship.

The man from San Francisco had recently returned to the Dallas Mavericks, the team that drafted him, after seven seasons at the New Jersey Nets.

Known for his steady stream of triple-doubles - notching up double figures in points, assists and rebounds in a game - the point guard showed flashes of his skills in Beijing, most notably with his game-high seven assists in the semi-final win over reigning Olympic champions Argentina.

After his second Olympic gold, Kidd was one of the key men in the Mavericks' first NBA title in 2011, beating a Miami Heat team featuring Redeem Team colleagues LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the Finals.

He retired in 2013 after a final season with the New York Knicks before becoming head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.

Despite taking the Nets to the playoffs, he left for the Milwaukee Bucks where he helped launch the career of future MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo before being fired during his fourth season.

He then won a NBA title in 2020 - in the bubble in Florida, as an assistant coach with the LA Lakers before returning to the Mavericks as head coach in 2021.

The 10-time All-Star is second on the all-time list for assists and steals behind Dream Team star John Stockton in both. Kidd was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

LeBron James #6

LeBron James continues to build his legacy as one of the all-time greats in the NBA.

As one of four members to experience defeat at Athens 2004, the small forward from Akron, Ohio had established himself as one of greats of his generation by the time Beijing came around.

In 2007, James led the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Detroit Pistons for their first ever Eastern Conference title before they were swept in the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs whose head coach, Gregg Popovich, was a Team USA assistant in Athens.

Before Beijing, he became the Cavs' all-time leading scorer and won the NBA scoring title ahead of MVP Bryant.

Having been a bit-part player in Athens, when he was still a teenager, James started for Team USA in Beijing and played a key role in their success.

He averaged 15.5 points - scoring double figures each time - 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

James went on to win consecutive NBA titles with the Miami Heat either side of his second Olympic gold at London 2012.

He returned to Cleveland to secure them a first NBA Championship in 2016 before winning a fourth title with a third different team - the LA Lakers - in the pandemic-affected 2020 season.

This year he made his 18th All-Star Game appearance putting him level with Bryant and one behind the record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

'King James' is now second on the all-time points list with, again, only Abdul-Jabbar ahead of him.

He has also become a vocal advocate for social justice and funds public and charitable initiatives in his birthplace of Akron - including the I Promise School - through his LeBron James Family Foundation.

Deron Williams #7

Filling John Stockton's shoes as playmaker for the Utah Jazz was always going to be a big ask, but Deron Williams certainly gave it a good shot.

After spending five days with the great man, the West Virginia native soon established himself as Utah's prime point guard and even earned favourable comparisons with the Dream Team legend.

Williams helped the Jazz to the 2007 Western Conference Finals, where they went down to the San Antonio Spurs, and played for Team USA in their victorious Americas Championship campaign.

While not a starter, 'D-Will' enjoyed significant time on court and scored double figures in group play against Spain and in the quarter-final win over Australia.

His friendly rivalry with Chris Paul (number four overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft to Williams' number three) continued in Beijing with 'CP3' having slightly more game time.

Williams made the first of three consecutive All-Star appearances in his final season at the Jazz in 2010 before a long-running feud with veteran head coach Jerry Sloan saw him join the New Jersey Nets.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, he enjoyed a short stint for Besiktas with the Turkish side retiring his #8 jersey when the lockout ended. He then won a second Olympic gold at London 2012.

Following some up-and-down years at the Nets, including after their move to Brooklyn, fitness deserted Williams after he joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2015, and then he was very much a peripheral figure in a spell at James' Cavaliers in 2017 which took in their Finals defeat to the Golden State Warriors.

A father of four, Williams spends time managing his MMA gym in Dallas and won his first - and he says, only - professional boxing bout against former NFL star Frank Gore on the undercard to the Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley rematch last December.

Michael Redd #8

Michael Redd was very much at his peak before winning gold at Beijing 2008.

The Columbus, Ohio native was drafted in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2000, but it was not until 2003 that he would become a starter after Ray Allen moved on to Seattle.

He became an All-Star in 2004 and really started to establish himself as one of the best shooting guards in the league with an impressive knack for hitting long-range baskets.

Redd demonstrated that prowess at the 2017 Americas Championship, making a record 29 three-pointers and averaging 14.4 points per game.

He had less impact in Beijing with Kobe Bryant starting, but he did make three three-pointers in 13 minutes in the opening win over China. He had to settle for the odd cameo after that and missed the final.

Back in the NBA, Redd tore anterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his left knee just four months after winning Olympic gold.

A year later, shortly after making his comeback, he re-tore those ligaments and played one season with the Phoenix Suns before bowing out of basketball.

After retirement, Redd has switched his attention to venture capitalism and invests in media and tech companies.

Dwyane Wade #9

Born in Chicago but synonymous with the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade was one of the finest shooting guards of his generation.

After his first NBA season, where he was third behind James and Carmelo Anthony in the Rookie of the Year voting, he struggled at Athens 2004 where USA only managed bronze.

Having led the Heat to their first NBA title alongside Shaquille O'Neal in 2006, Wade also took bronze at the 2006 FIBA World Championships before injury ruled him out of the 2007 Americas Championship.

But in Beijing, he showed how much he had matured during the Olympic cycle, leading the team with 16 points per game and top-scoring with 27 from off the bench in the gold-medal game against Spain.

Wade went on to win two more NBA Championships with the Heat, with James and Chris Bosh in 2012 and 2013, but a knee operation forced him to miss London 2012.

After short stints at the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers, reuniting with James, Wade returned to the Heat for the end of the 2017-18 season.

He announced his intention to quit after the 2018-19 campaign and went out in style.

In his final game, Wade recorded his fifth career triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the Heat in their defeat to the Brooklyn Nets with James, Anthony and Chris Paul cheering him on courtside.

He is now a co-owner of the Utah Jazz and almost certain to being named to the Hall of Fame in 2023, his first year of eligibility.

Dwight Howard #11

The youngest member of the roster in Beijing, Dwight Howard more than proved his worth as the team's starting center.

Howard was part of the USA squad that won bronze at the 2006 World Championships and, after his first of eight consecutive All-Star Game appearances, started most of the games in their 2007 Americas Championship triumph.

The Orlando Magic star was at his forceful best in China, averaging 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In the final group game, Germany had no response as Howard notched up 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Seen as a somewhat divisive figure, Howard left Orlando for the LA Lakers in 2012 after back surgery ruled him out of the London Olympic Games.

After one season at the Lakers, he spent three years at the Houston Rockets where he formed a powerful partnership with James Harden.

After that, there were further short spells at Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington before he returned to the Lakers and won his first NBA title in the pandemic-afflicted 2019-20 season.

After one season at Philadelphia, Howard had a third stint at the Lakers and is currently a free agent.

Chris Bosh #12

Chris Bosh was often a player overshadowed by others during his career, but his excellence was recognised with induction to the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Drafted fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2003 - behind James, Anthony and Wade - the Dallas-born power forward had to regularly play out of position at center and try to cope with bigger men in the paint.

The following year, he took on the mantle of team leader when Vince Carter, the man responsible for the 'Dunk of Death' at Sydney 2000, left the franchise.

He had his first of 11 consecutive All-Star picks in 2006 and won bronze with Team USA at the World Championships before missing the 2007 Americas Championships due to a foot injury.

But he was back for Beijing and more than played his part surrounded by his more celebrated teammates, filling in again at center on occasion.

Bosh averaged 9.1 points and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds across the eight games, grabbing a joint-game-high seven boards in the gold-medal game.

He continued to excel with Toronto before joining the Miami Heat along with James and Wade for the 2010-11 season. The trio led the Heat to the NBA Finals at the first attempt, but the Dallas Mavericks proved too strong.

Then came back-to-back championships before another NBA Finals defeat as the San Antonio Spurs avenged the previous season's loss.

James' return to the Cleveland Cavaliers left two of the 'Big Three' at Miami, but Bosh was found to have blood clots in his lungs after the All-Star Game in January 2015 which ruled him out of the remainder of the season.

After returning to his best and making the All-Star Game again, a clot in his calf ruled him out of the match and signalled a dangerous recurring condition.

The Heat eventually waived him and retired his #1 jersey, and Bosh - after 18 months of hoping to make a comeback - announced he would quit. It was official in March 2019 when the his #1 jersey was raised to the rafters before the match with the Orlando Magic.

Chris Paul #13

He might be one of the greatest players never to win an NBA Championship ring, but 37-year-old point guard Chris Paul still has time to put that right as he goes into his third season with the Phoenix Suns.

'CP3', the 2005 NBA Rookie of the Year, made his national team debut at the 2006 World Championships where he was one of a number of players who struggled to show their best form as USA took bronze.

Despite missing the 2007 Americas Championship, he was back in the squad for Beijing after making his first NBA All-Star Game and leading the league with 11.6 assists and 2.7 steals per game for the New Orleans Hornets.

The North Carolina native was also second in MVP voting behind Bryant who took the number 10 jersey Paul had worn in the World Championship.

With Coach K opting to start with Jason Kidd, Paul took his opportunities on court by drawing fouls and connecting from the free-throw line with aplomb, most notably in the closing minute of the gold-medal game against Spain.

After years of failing to reach the conference finals, Paul moved on to the LA Clippers ahead of the shortened 2011-12 season after which he won Olympic gold again at London 2012.

His fortunes improved when he linked up with James Harden at the Houston Rockets but the best they managed was the Western Conference Finals in 2018 where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 after Paul was ruled out of the last two games with a hamstring injury.

After a first-round playoff exit in one season at the Oklahoma City Thunder, Paul reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 2021 with Phoenix but - after leading 2-0 - Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks won four straight to take the title.

This year, they lost in seven games in the West semi-finals to the Dallas Mavericks, and that NBA title still eludes CP3.

Tayshaun Prince #14

Tayshaun Prince had made his name by subduing Kobe Bryant in the 2004 NBA Finals, helping the Detroit Pistons to a 4-1 series victory over the LA Lakers.

The small forward from Compton, California was known for his defence, and averaged five rebounds and 7.3 points per game in the 2007 Americas Championship triumph which secured a spot in Beijing.

While he only had limited game time in China, Prince made useful contributions in both meetings with Spain. He was three-from-four for three-pointers in a 10-point haul in group play, and made all three of his field goal attempts (all two-pointers) in just eight minutes in the gold-medal game.

Krzyzewski later wrote about the final, "Tayshaun didn't do those things when we had the game in hand, he did them when we needed them."

Prince's career declined somewhat after his Olympic gold and after 10-and-a-half seasons in Detroit, he had relatively unsuccessful spells in Memphis and Boston before returning to the Pistons for the end of the 2014-15 season.

He retired from the NBA after one season at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Prince is currently the vice-president of basketball affairs at one of his former teams, the Memphis Grizzlies.

Carmelo Anthony #15

Formerly Team USA's leading points scorer at the Olympic Games, Carmelo Anthony remains the most decorated male basketball player in history with three golds and a bronze.

That bronze came at Athens 2004, but redemption came four years later in Beijing for the man from New York City.

Anthony, who won the NCAA title with Syracuse, impressed with his scoring after being picked third overall in the 2003 draft by the Denver Nuggets. LeBron James pipped him to the 2004 Rookie of the Year award.

Before Beijing, he led the Nuggets to the playoffs in his first five seasons but they went out in the first round each time. He arrived in China on the back of his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance.

The versatile forward started for Team USA although he only averaged just over 19 minutes per game. He had extended game time in the semi-finals where he hit all 13 of his free-throw attempts, but made just three out of 14 from the field, in his 21-point haul against reigning champs Argentina.

His best production came in the group win over Spain, landing four three-pointers as he tallied 16 points. He also scored 13 points in their gold-medal rematch including three three-pointers.

The following season, 'Melo' finally registered a playoff series win but the Nuggets lost the Western Conference Finals to the LA Lakers. And in 2010 and 2011, Denver returned to first-round exits with Anthony moving on to the New York Knicks before he claimed a second Olympic title at London 2012.

Extended postseason runs continued to elude Anthony although he did become NBA scoring champion in 2013. He missed out on the playoffs for the first time the following year.

Rio 2016 saw Anthony win a third gold medal although his men's Team USA record of 336 points was eclipsed by Kevin Durant at last year's Tokyo 2020 Games.

While he continued to score freely, it was not until he joined the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2017-2018 that he graced the postseason again. A first-round exit was the result and, after a short spell in Houston, he had two more first-round exits at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Last season, he joined James at the LA Lakers but it was a disappointing season for the franchise with Anthony now a free agent. He is currently ninth on the all-time NBA scoring list.

Mike Krzyzewski (coach)

When Mike Krzyzewski was given the job of restoring the USA men's team to its former glories in 2005, he was helped by USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo insisting that players commit to Beijing 2008 at least a year in advance.

That saw no fewer than eight members of the squad that won the 2007 Americas Championship go to China, in marked contrast to the chaos caused by late withdrawals ahead of Athens 2004.

Coach K had been at the helm of Duke University since 1980 and led the team to NCAA titles in 1991, 1992 and 2001 with Carlos Boozer in the latest champion side.

Work ethic was always paramount in his ethos and he recalled that he told the players ahead of the gold-medal game, "The coaching staff will carry you to the bus after the game if need be. Let's go after them with five guys. Let's be relentless."

On the team bus, there were signs reading, "Play hard. Play smart. Play together. 40 minutes from gold."

And so they did as Team USA claimed their first global title since Sydney 2000.

Krzyzewski rejected numerous overtures from NBA teams to stay at the Duke Blue Devils, winning further NCAA Championships in 2010 and 2015.

He also returned to guide USA to repeat gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Coach K eventually bowed out in April 2022 after 42 years in charge.