The 2008 United States Olympic Basketball Team had one goal in mind: to recapture the gold after earning the bronze in 2004. Dubbed “The Redeem Team,” the roster read like a future Hall of Fame ballot with names like Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, and Dwight Howard listed one after another. Even the “second string,” anchored by Chris Paul, was outstanding.
He was the star of the Olympic Games – a young man about whom so many words were written, that coming up with a new superlative to describe him is practically impossible. And his legacy will live on even after his world records are surpassed, because one thing I’ve noticed while watching Michael Phelps win – in close races, in blowouts, by himself and as a team member – is that he embodies nearly every one of the sixteen characteristics of Greatness that you’ll find in true champions. He livesnearly every one of the characteristics – the adversity he battled growing up, the practice sessions he endures routinely, the life that he’s grown to lead. He is truly great.
Don Yaeger is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, 12-time New York Times best-selling author, leadership expert and executive coach.
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