RIO DE JANEIRO – The United States’ failure to win a gold medal in men’s basketball in Athens during the 2004 Olympics led to an overhaul of the national team.
Jerry Colangelo became the CEO. He hired Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski as his coach. They recruited the NBA’s best players and demanded commitment, loyalty and a sense of national pride from them.
In 2008 in Beijing, the U.S. went undefeated and won the gold medal as the players called themselves “Redeem Team,” a play on the 1992 team’s nickname of “Dream Team.”
In 2012 in London, the U.