The 2008 Team USA "Redeem Team" was announced Friday as one of 17 finalists to join the Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2025.
The star-studded American squad, which conquered gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, is joined by 16 individuals still up for consideration this year:
- Danny Crawford (Referee)
- Marques Johnson (Player)
- Molly Bolin (Player)
- Buck Williams (Player)
- Jennifer Azzi (Player)
- Sue Bird (Player)
- Maya Moore (Player)
- Sylvia Fowles (Player)
- Dwight Howard (Player)
- Carmelo Anthony (Player)
- Jerry Welsh (Coach)
- Billy Donovan (Coach)
- Mark Few (Coach)
- Tal Brody (Coach)
- Dusan Ivkovic (Coach)
- Micky Arison (Owner)
Headlined by Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant, Team USA's men's side dominated the 2008 Olympics, defeating Spain in the gold-medal game to cap a perfect 8-0 run in the tournament. The final was the Americans' second win over the Spanish in the tournament and the only contest they didn't win by at least 20 points.
Anthony and Howard were also prominent members of the Olympic squad, meaning the former Los Angeles Lakers teammates could be inducted twice this year.
Johnson and Williams, the other former NBAers unveiled Friday, starred for the Milwaukee Bucks and New Jersey Nets, respectively, between the late 1970s and 1980s. Johnson was a three-time All-NBA pick and was a finalist for induction from 2018-22. Williams, who was an All-NBA selection in 1983 amid an eight-year run in New Jersey, is a finalist for the first time.
Bird, Moore, and Fowles are among six other former players being considered for induction. From 2004 to 2020, the three WNBA legends captured a combined 10 championships, with Fowles and Moore winning twice together on the Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017.
Moore collected the 2014 WNBA MVP award, six All-Star selections, six Olympic gold medals, two EuroLeague titles, and two NCAA championships with UConn over her college and professional career. She stepped away from basketball after eight seasons - when she was 29 years old - to focus on advocacy for criminal justice system reform.
Of the coaches, Few and Donovan are still active. The former is in his 26th season in charge of Gonzaga's men's program, while Donovan is in his fifth campaign with the Chicago Bulls and 10th in the NBA. However, Donovan had his best run behind the bench at the collegiate level, leading Florida to two NCAA championships during his 19 years with the Gators.
