I had a speech last week in Nebraska and before I caught my flight home, I made my way over to the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha to catch up with two of the greatest competitors on the planet.

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte have established in the pool what Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer had on the golf course or Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe had on the tennis courts. Anytime they are in the same event, all eyes are locked on the two best swimmers on the planet.

As the USA Men’s Basketball Team heads to London as the favorite to win gold, it’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, even medaling at the Olympics seemed an uncertain prospect. A series of embarrassing setbacks, including a horrific showing in the 2004 Games, left many wondering whether the rest of the world had caught—and passed—the United States in a game created in America.

That’s when longtime National Basketball Association executive Jerry Colangelo stepped up to accept the challenge. As director of USA Basketball, Colangelo’s task was to rebuild the franchise that once so dominated its competition (think back to the 1992 Dream Team) that opponents lined up after games for the “honor” of photos with the superstars who had just trounced them by 50 points.