That’ll probably go down as one of the greatest Olympic games ever,

LeBron James said after Team USA’s thrilling 118-107 victory over Spain earned it the gold medal Sunday.

The moment he received his medal, James reached down, grabbed it and stared at it. He held it inches from his eyes and just gazed at it, transfixed. And when they handed him a bouquet of red roses, he held them to his nose and inhaled two huge breaths, the sweet smell of victory filling his nostrils and lungs. Carmelo Anthony wiped a tear from his right eye as they raised the American flag above the court and played the U.S. national anthem, and Kobe Bryant sang along as James stood nearby, stone-faced, his right hand on his heart.

Moments earlier, the American players had locked arms and stepped onto the medal podium as one, then raised their arms in unison toward the American fans who had hung a U.S. flag over the railing in the upper deck.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski later blew kisses to that same group of fans before nearly all the American players took the medals off their own necks and hung them around his neck. They then draped their medals around the neck of USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo, then did the same to the three assistant coaches: Jim Boeheim, Mike D’Antoni and Nate McMillan.

It was an overwhelming sight to behold, the possession of those gold medals made so much more fulfilling because of what had transpired on the court for 40 immensely entertaining minutes. The members of Team USA didn’t just win their gold medals, they earned them against the first opponent that finally gave them a game.

They didn’t dominate in the final game; they performed. They didn’t nearly blow it; they closed it out. More http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/basketball/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&page=RedeemTeam-080824

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