AMERICA NO. 1 AGAIN IN MEN'S BASKETBALL

In the end, the final game
Redeem Team did not smash the opponent
But celebrated as if it were the Fourth of July
Or New Year’s Eve
Just without a grand fireworks display
Or balloons and confetti
The sound of trumpets and saxophones
Or drums being ripped rapturously into
Though there were cheers galore and deafening chants of, “USA ..USA …USA”
As it became apparent inside the Wukesong Basketball Arena in China that America
Land of the beautiful, bold and proud
Had reclaimed world bragging rights
The Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball
Doing so with All-Star NBA players
Who hugged and smiled, skipped and raced around as if they were college players after beating Span, 118-107 in the Gold Medal Game
And not multi-millionaires with supposedly bloated egos
Far from it
Because there was Kobe Bryant, reining NBA MVP, jubilant and excited to leave the game
And embrace Carmelo Anthony, then Dwayne Wade
Bear-hug style, the kind NBC announcer and former NBA coach Doug Collins said represents,
“The beauty of sports,”
The thrill of victory for a country that for four years was not No. 1 or No. 2 in men’s basketball in the world
But No. 3, having won the bronze medal in Athen’s in 2004
So it was decided, no more just stepping out on the court with dunk-a-holics and shake and bake artists to try and win against balanced, talented world talent
No more failure
And Redeem Team did not fail
But in the end did not crush Spain and L.A. Lakers center Pau Gasol and his Spaniards, either
Yet, it did not matter
Did not matter because Spain, routed by 37 points to TEAM USA a week earlier
Showed the heart of a college team
Unwilling to bend, foil
But rather bent to go seemingly 15 rounds and more
Hoping to win, pull the big upset
Like Villanova in 1985, which shocked Georgetown and Patrick Ewing to win the NCAA tournament title, 66-64
Like N.C. State in 1983 when Lorenzo Charles was the right man, right time, kind of like Superman
As he slammed home Dereck Whittenburg’s missed desperation heave
N.C. State 54, Houston eventual legends Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon, 52
But, of course, Redeem Team found a way to hold of mighty Spain
With Kobe proving masterful, unleashing every lethal part of his game in the fourth quarter
Scoring 13 of his 20 points to help turn a two-point advantage into a more comfortable double-digit lead
Back came Spain, Rudy Fernandez dunking, Gasol and his brother Marc both scoring inside
Defense, steals, hustle
High stakes, basketball simply at its best
Back came Kobe and Deron Williams and Dwight Howard and D-Wade
And Kobe again and again
With one goal, one dream in mind
Winning the Olympic gold medal and restoring the USA back to the top of world bragging rights
Mission accomplished
Never mind that it was helter-skelter
Good, intense, tough competition is healthy for the soul
More rewarding in the end
And it showed from the players to Redeem Team coach Mike Krzyzewski
Showed in the way they bonded, handled adversity
Then, celebrated
The gold medal won, America No. 1 again on the hardwood
The dream, mission accomplished by men who proved just how proud they are to be American
Through their determination and loyalty to each other to win at any cost
Or by any margin
Just as long as the gold medal was won
A medal that seemed to carry far more significance
Than a million dollars in the bank
Because they battled for America and glory again
Not personal greed.