My Review of "The Redeem Team"

The Redeem Team is a Netflix exclusive sports documentary that came out recently in 2022. I lived through the time of this documentary so I thought why not go back through memory lane and see if this will bring up anything for me. It definitely did and there were so many pop culture and nostalgic things that popped into my head.

It all starts out with the explanation of the cultural significance of the team USA basketball team in the Olympics. They've been a powerhouse team for decades and because of this people really stopped paying attention. It was practically a given that team USA was going to dominate in the Olympics until the 2000s hit.

I guess the world had caught up or so that's what the story tells us. The world has always been catching up it's just in the early 2000s team USA started losing their stature as the best in the world. Other countries had started to take the podium and the media started to take notice.

Being a world powerhouse suddenly losing such coveted stature is of course demeaning and demoralizing. This is made worse when you know that the best players are on the team. The movie then starts to explain how basketball isn't an individual sport. It's a team sport and if you can't play as a team then you can't win games.

They start showing examples of how the world was playing compared to the Americans. These world teams have been playing together for years whereas the American teams would only have a few weeks to prepare. They also have different international rules than the NBA. All of the small things add up to a mountain of things they have to climb.

Luckily for team USA, they had had enough. It was time to create a new team to redeem their reputation as the worlds best and they were going to do whatever it took to get there. All of the team building and the motivations were quite fun to watch.

The biggest factor throughout this process was Kobe Bryant. They talk about his struggles at the time he was recruited to the team. At the time he was the epitome of why team USA has lost so much in the past. He was a lone wolf and had issues with people.

That's why it was surprising to see that he single handedly changed the atmosphere and dynamics of the team. He was the x factor that they needed to get that killer instinct. You can see the whole team metamorphosize into a monster team.

I was impressed at the way they were constantly able to show how team USA struggled throughout run. They had the best talent but still they had to work in order to get to their goals. It wasn't an easy run either. This documentary is able to linger on moments that will keep you at the edge of your seat even though you know the outcome. I loved how they were able to play on your emotions and really identify with the group of guys on the team.

It's also a love letter to the late Kobe Bryant and how the team had really gelled together. They all have an unmistakable bond with one another. I'm sure none of them will ever forget. This is yet another reminder how dedicated and different a man Kobe was. Although it's a team effort, one man can make a huge difference to a team.

Overall, I really enjoyed this documentary. I was hooked from the get go and I couldn't let go. Even at the last ending credits I was hoping for even more nuggets of information to hear more about what had happened in the locker rooms. That's why I have to give this documentary an 8.5 out of 10. It will suck you in and have you asking for more. That's all I want in a documentary.