THE ICONIC MOMENT associated with the Redeem Team, rightly, is Kobe Bryant with his finger pressed to his lips.
The defiant pose, after a crushing 3-pointer as he was being fouled in a vital moment in the gold medal game, was dripping with symbolism -- Kobe didn't actually want anyone at Beijing's Wukesong Arena to be quiet, and his legions of Chinese fans in the stands were screaming anyway. He meant to silence the belief that the Americans were no longer kings of the world court.
That replay will be on repeat this weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts, as the 2008 U.