Dwyane Wade recently revealed that he was producing a documentary on the 2008 US Men’s Olympic Basketball team.

Wade was part of the group was charged with the task of re-affirming America’s place in the basketball pantheon after an embarrassing bronze medal finish at the 2004 Olympics in Athens – a shock that reverberated around the world.

Aptly named the ‘Redeem Team’, the team was led by the late Kobe Bryant, and featured other current and future Hall of Famers like Jason Kidd, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony. It also included Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, who were at the top of their powers, along with less-remembered role players like Carlos Boozer, Tayshaun Prince, and the underappreciated Michael Redd.

Wade said they’ve been working on it for around a year, and I’m certainly excited to see the result of their labors. Here’s my list of the top things I want to see in the documentary.

Kobe Bryant’s leadership

Kobe Bryant may not have been the top scorer of that team (Wade was with 16 PPG), but he was definitely one of its leaders. His legendary ‘Mamba Mentality’ was something that the imprinted into the people on that squad who went on to find great success.

I want to see how they portray Bryant in the documentary, especially in the wake of his tragic passing this year. It’s no stretch to say that everyone on that team idolized Bryant, and it would be good to see how he helped bring focus to a team.

How the 2004 versions of LBJ, Melo and D-Wade differed from 2008

The three superstars had just finished their rookie seasons by the time the 2004 Olympics rolled in, so they can’t really take the brunt of the blame for the dismal end result of that tournament. That team also suffered from a few key players dropping out, the lack of a cohesive plan, and an overconfidence in simply being the most talented team in the tournament.

By 2008, things were a very different story. Wade was an NBA Finals MVP, LeBron had carried a hapless Cleveland Team into the 2007 Finals by single-handedly beating the Detroit Pistons, and Carmelo Anthony was at the height of his powers in the Denver Nuggets.

I’d like to see their reflections on what changed, and what was on their minds as they began the journey toward redemption.

Carlos Boozer’s take on 2004 and 2008

One detail that many people, especially younger fans, may not remember is that Carlos Boozer was also part of both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic teams. While he wasn’t a superstar, he had a respectable NBA career and averaged 16.2 PPG and 9.5 RPG while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and LA Lakers.

This also means that he played on the same NBA roster as James, Williams, and Bryant. I’m keen to see his take on being on of the role players on the redeem team, and hopefully also see Boozer talk about the difference in playing with the three.

Mike Krzyzewski’s handling of NBA superstars

It was never going to be an easy task for a college coach to manage NBA superstars, even with someone of Mike Krzyzewski’s legendary reputation. However, the consensus is that his leadership style and how he inspired patriotism in the 2008 squad is something I want to see more of.

There have been anecdotes of him bringing in military generals to speak with players, and there’s no doubt that he was well-respected by Bryant and the other stars. His results speak for themselves, too, winning three gold medals during his time at the helm of the national team, so I want to see how he set the foundations of that run with the 2008 team.