In a recent interview, former NBA star Dwight Howard made a bold statement that has sparked a lively debate among basketball fans. Howard confidently asserted that the 2008 USA Olympic basketball team, famously known as the “Redeem Team,” would triumph over the 2024 Team USA in a hypothetical seven-game series.
The 2008 Redeem Team, led by the legendary Kobe Bryant, was a squad assembled with a mission to reclaim Olympic gold after a disappointing bronze finish in 2004. The team featured a roster of young, hungry, and immensely talented players, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant. Howard himself was a key player, providing a dominant presence in the paint.
Howard highlighted the prime years of these players as a significant advantage.
“I’m going with our team. We got a prime Kobe, we got young Bron, we got bald-head D-Wade… Talking about Bron at 23? I’m 22? Melo at 24? Bosh at 24?… Wade at 26? Boozer was going crazy!”
Dwight Howard says the 2008 Redeem Team would beat the 2024 Avengers in a 7-game series 👀
(🎥 @GilsArenaShow )
pic.twitter.com/XKo7ippMAr— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 2, 2024
The 2024 Team USA, while also boasting a roster of NBA stars, has faced its share of challenges. Despite winning gold at the Paris Olympics, the team had some close calls, including narrow escapes against South Sudan and Germany in exhibition matches, as well as Serbia, in the semifinal and France in the final of the Olympics. This has led some, including Howard, to question their dominance compared to the 2008 squad.
