Netflix announced on Friday that they would be releasing The Redeem Team, a documentary chronicling the 2008 United States Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, on October 7, 2022.
RELATED: The Midnight Club Photos Tease Mike Flanagan’s Next Netflix Horror Series
The documentary is set to follow what many consider to be one of the best basketball teams ever assembled and their dominant run through the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, culminating in a gold medal victory. The film will feature “unprecedented Olympic footage and behind-the-scenes material,” and will feature interviews with a variety athletes and coaches from the team, including Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, among others.
Dubbed the “Redeem Team” as an homage to the infamous 1992 Olympic squad that was called the “Dream Team,” the 2008 United States men’s Olympic basketball team was captained by the late Kobe Bryant, and was put together with the goal of “redeeming” the U.S. men’s team, which had finished with a disappointing Bronze Medal during the 2004 Summer Olympics following the major withdrawal of a variety of talent.
In 2008, USA Basketball changed its approach to forming the team, with the final roster featuring eleven NBA All-Stars, two NBA MVPs, and a Hall of Fame coach. During their run in the Olympics, the team didn’t lose a single game, and finished their preliminary rounds with a point differential of +161 before going on to cruise to a Gold Medal win in the tournament.
RELATED: Wednesday Teaser Trailer Teases Mystery, Mayhem, & Murder for Netflix Series
“In 2008, I played with heroes of mine, all stars, friends and future teammates,” said Dwyane Wade, an executive producer on the project and who had been teasing the documentary for years. “Outside of winning and showing the world that we were still the most dominant, our other big challenge was changing the perception of what everyone thought about the NBA and USA Basketball! I’m excited for everyone to get an opportunity to go behind the scenes and see all the work that went into this iconic team — The Redeem Team!”
