When he takes the court in Beijing, Michael Redd will become the 16th player with Milwaukee Bucks ties to represent the United States in Olympic competition.. (Getty)

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Tix

July 28, 2008

During preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, several members of the United States men's basketball team have referred to their group as the "Redeem Team."

Redemption will indeed be one of Team USA's foremost goals when it takes the court at Wukesong Indoor Stadium for its preliminary round game against the host Chinese team at 9:15 a.m. CDT on Sunday, Aug. 10.

After all, the U.S. is coming off a bronze-medal finish in the 2004 games in Athens, Greece. That was its lowest since settling for the bronze in Seoul, Korea, in 1988, before National Basketball Association players became eligible for Olympic competition.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski's squad will also be driven to restore the degree of domination the U.S. enjoyed prior to that '88 Olympiad.

Beginning with its gold-medal conquest in Berlin, Germany, in 1936 , the U.S. has won 114 games and lost only five, and owns 12 gold medals, one silver and two bronzes.

Among the United States' global competitors, only the Soviet Union, with two gold medals on its resume, has won more than one. And one of those was dubiously decided.

When Michael Redd takes the court for Team USA, he will become the 16th player with Milwaukee Bucks ties to represent the U.S. in Olympic competition.

Oscar Robertson and Bob Boozer, both members of the Bucks' 1971 World Championship Team, were the first. They were NCAA All-Americans at the University of Cincinnati and Kansas State University, respectively, and teammates on the 1960 squad that brought home the gold from Rome, Italy.

The 1976 U.S. team, which became gold medalists in Montreal, Canada, featured five players who would go on to wear the Bucks uniform: Phil Ford, Adrian Dantley, Quinn Buckner, Ernie Grunfeld and Scott May.

Alvin Robertson, who was voted to the 20-man, all-time Milwaukee Bucks Team during the franchise's 40th anniverary season last year, helped the U.S. secure Olympic gold in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1984.

Future Bucks Jeff Grayer, Danny Manning and J.R. Reid were members of the aforementioned '88 team that was the bronze medalist in Seoul.

Gary Payton had only a short stint in a Bucks uniform, but he was part of the United States' gold-medal teams in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992; in Atlanta, Ga., in 1996; and in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.

Payton's teammates on the 2000 squad included not only former Buck Vin Baker but, ironically enough, Ray Allen, the man the Bucks would trade for him in 2003.

Richard Jefferson, acquired by the Bucks just this summer, was the last player with Milwaukee ties to make an Olympic appearance, as a member of the bronze medalist U.S. team in Athens in 2004.

The following is a review of the United States' Olympic history in men's basketball:

1936 - Berlin, Germany
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Canada
Bronze Medal: Mexico
Gold Medal Game: USA 19, Canada 8
Team USA: Sam Balter, Ralph Bishop, Joe Fortenberry, Tex Gibbons, Francis Johnson, Carl Knowles, Frank Lubin, Art Mollner, Donald Piper, Jack Ragland, Willard Schmidt, Carl Shy, Duane Swanson, Bill Wheatley.

1948 - London, England
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: France
Bronze Medal: Brazil
Gold Medal Game: USA 65, France 21
Team USA: Cliff Barker, Don Barksdale, Ralph Beard, Lew Beck, Vince Boryla, Gordon Carpenter, Alex Groza, Wah Wah Jones, Bob Kurland, Ray Lumpp, Robert Pitts, Jesse Renick, Jackie Robinson, Kenny Rollins.

1952 - Helinski, Finland
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Soviet Union
Bronze Medal: Uruguay
Gold Medal Game: USA 36, Soviet Union 25
Team USA: Ron Bontemps, Mark Freiberger, Wayne Glasgow, Charlie Hoag, Bill Hougland, John Keller, Dean Kelley, Bob Kenney, Bob Kurland, Bill Lienhard, Clyde Lovellette, Frank McCabe, Dan Pippin, Howie Williams.

1956 - Melbourne, Australia
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Soviet Union
Bronze Medal: Uruguay
Gold Medal Game: USA 89, Soviet Union 55
Team USA: Carl Cain, Bill Hougland, K.C. Jones, Bill Russell, James Walsh, William Evans, Burdette Haldorsson, Ronald Tomsic, Richard Boushka, Gilbert Ford, Robert Jeangerard, Charles Darling.

1960 - Rome, Italy
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Soviet Union
Bronze Medal: Brazil
Gold Medal Game: USA vs. Soviet Union; No Playoffs
Team USA: Jay Arnette, Walt Bellamy, Bob Boozer, Terry Dischinger, Burdette Haldorsson, Darrall Imhoff, Allen Kelley, Lester Lane, Jerry Lucas, Oscar Robertson, Adrian Smith, Jerry West.

1964 - Tokyo, Japan
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Soviet Union
Bronze Medal: Brazil
Gold Medal Game: USA 73, Soviet Union 59
Team USA: Jim Barnes, Bill Bradley, Larry Brown, Joe Caldwell, Mel Counts, Richard Davies, Walt Hazzard, Lucious Jackson, John McCaffrey, Jeff Mullins, Jerry Shipp, George Wilson.

1968 - Mexico City, Mexico
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Yugoslavia
Bronze Medal: Soviet Union
Gold Medal Game: USA 65, Yugoslavia 50
Team USA: Mike Barrett, John Clawson, Don Dee, Calvin Fowler, Spencer Haywood, Bill Hosket, Jim King, Glynn Saulters, Charlie Scott, Mike Silliman, Ken Spain, Jo Jo White.

1972 - Munich, Germany
Gold Medal: Soviet Union
Silver Medal: USA
Bronze Medal: Cuba
Gold Medal Game: Soviet Union 51, USA 50
Team USA: Kenneth Davis, Doug Collins, Tom Henderson, Mike Bantom, Robert Jones, Dwight Jones, James Forbes, Jim Brewer, Tommy Burleson, Tom McMillen, Kevin Joyce, Ed Ratleff.

1976 - Montreal, Canada
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Yugoslavia
Bronze Medal: Soviet Union
Gold Medal Game: USA 95, Yugoslavia 74
Team USA: Phil Ford, Steve Sheppard, Adrian Dantley, Walter Davis, Quinn Buckner, Ernie Grunfeld, Kenny Carr, Scott May, Tate Armstrong, Tom LaGarde, Phil Hubbard, Mitch Kupchak.

1980 - Moscow, Russia
Gold Medal: Yugoslavia
Silver Medal: Italy
Bronze Medal: Soviet Union
Gold Medal Game: Yugoslavia 86, Italy 77
(Team USA did not participate)

1984 - Los Angeles, Calif., United States
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Spain
Bronze Medal: Yugoslavia
Gold Medal Game: USA 96, Spain 65
Team USA: Steve Alford, Leon Wood, Patrick Ewing, Vern Fleming, Alvin Robertson, Michael Jordan, Joe Kleine, Jon Koncak, Wayman Tisdale, Chris Mullin, Sam Perkins, Jeff Turner.

1988 - Seoul, Korea
Gold Medal: Soviet Union
Silver Medal: Yugoslavia
Bronze Medal: USA
Gold Medal Game: Soviet Union 76, Yugoslavia 63
Bronze Medal Game: USA 78, Australia 49
Team USA: Mitch Richmond, Charles Smith IV, Bimbo Coles, Hersey Hawkins, Jeff Grayer, Charles D. Smith, Willie Anderson, Stacey Augmon, Dan Majerle, Danny Manning, J.R. Reid, David Robinson.

1992 - Barcelona, Spain
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Croatia
Bronze Medal: Lithuania
Gold Medal Game: USA 117, Croatia 85
Team USA: David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr., Christian Laettner.

1996 - Atlanta, United States
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: Yugoslavia
Bronze Medal: Lithuania
Gold Medal Game: USA 95, Yugoslavia 69
Team USA: Charles Barkley, Anfernee Hardaway, Grant Hill, Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen, Mitch Richmond, David Robinson, John Stockton.

2000 - Sydney, Australia
Gold Medal: USA
Silver Medal: France
Bronze Medal: Lithuania
Gold Medal Game: USA 85, France 75
Team USA: Steve Smith, Gary Payton, Vince Carter, Ray Allen, Vin Baker, Kevin Garnett, Tim Hardaway, Allan Houston, Jason Kidd, Antonio McDyess, Alonzo Mourning, Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

2004 - Athens, Greece
Gold Medal: Argentina
Silver Medal: Italy
Bronze Medal: USA
Gold Medal Game: Argentina 84, Italy 69
Bronze Medal Game: USA 104, Lithuania 96
Team USA: Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Carlos Boozer, Carmelo Anthony, Stephon Marbury, Richard Jefferson, Lamar Odom, Emeka Okafor.