In the summer of 2004, Team USA men's basketball hit a low point when it came away with only the bronze medal in the Olympics. That disappointing finish sparked a revamping of the program, which brought late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant into the fold.
To that point, Bryant had never represented the United States in the Olympics. But he did just that in 2008, and he was the main difference as the Stars and Stripes cruised to the gold medal that summer.
That Olympic squad, which was dubbed the "Redeem Team," also featured LeBron James and former Lakers players Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony.