Breaking down the road to redemption
But seeing as how the Americans found themselves standing on the highest part of the podium after settling for back-to-back bronzes in the last two major international competitions, we'll overlook the harder-than-expected time the U.S. had with Spain.
Instead, we'll focus on the 12 men who returned the "dream" to the "team" and hand out grades for the entire Olympic competition.
KOBE BRYANT: Sure, he forced some shots early on and he gambled too much on defense, but his several ultra-clutch plays in the fourth quarter of the gold-medal game reinforced his standing as the very best player in the world.
GRADE: A-plus
DWYANE WADE: Another hero of the gold-medal game. His hustle, power drives, and shot-making signal that he's returned to his super-star status.
GRADE: A-plus
LEBRON JAMES: Did a lot of everything — blocking shots, rebounding, passing, driving, hitting his treys, and demonstrating why he's an unparalleled finisher even in an angry crowd.
GRADE: A-plus
CHRIS PAUL: Played sniping defense, made judicious passes, and his speed always gave the team a jolt.
GRADE: A
TAYSHAUN PRINCE: Hit some bombs, hustled, played his usual superior defense, and was a quiet, mature presence.
GRADE: B-plus
CARMELO ANTHONY: Played the best defense of his career, but failed to fulfill his prediction of snatching 10 rebounds per game. Showed some disturbing signs that he's not quite the grown-up he needs to be, yet his outside shooting was important.
GRADE: B
JASON KIDD: Moved the ball with precision and unselfishness, shot extremely well, but had trouble keeping up with several of the younger, quicker guards he faced.
GRADE: B
DERON WILLIAMS: Hit some big shots and overcame his tendency to over-handle the ball, but played erratic defense.
GRADE: B-minus
CHRIS BOSH: His straight-up defense got worse as the tournament progressed and the competition stiffened, but was still always active.
GRADE: B-minus
CARLOS BOOZER: Wasn't asked to do much and did exactly that.
GRADE: C-minus
MICHEAL REDD: Didn't play enough to keep his stroke well-honed, but did no damage.
GRADE: C-minus
DWIGHT HOWARD: Dunked with admirable authority against inferior opponents. Played miserable defense and was a liability at the stripe.
GRADE: D-plus
Biggest surprise performance: D-Wade's dynamic comeback from his injury-plagued season in Miami.
Most disappointing performance: Dwight Howard's failure to dominate the paint.
Conclusion: Team USA did what they set out to do, and for now, at least, that's all that matters.
Outlook: LBJ, D-Wade, CP3, not-so-mellow-Melo, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard and perhaps a 34-year-old Kobe Bryant will probably re-up for the London Games. It can also be expected that many more NBAers will be eager to be part of the program, which could make the 2012 squad even stronger and deeper.
The only glitches are that more foreign-born players will undoubtedly undergo NBA-seasoning between now and then, which will make Olympic competition even better. Also, Team America's unexpected letdown in the gold-medal game (as much as a double-digit victory for gold can be considered a letdown) may give the rest of the world grounds for hope.
But the past is done, and the future doesn't exist. So let's all celebrate the thrilling accomplishments of these solid-gold heroes.
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