Team USA Basketball and the gold medal are a pair, usually connected by a red thread. They are destined to meet at a certain point. This has rarely been the case, thanks to the icons that American teams always bring to secure their prized gold, like fierce pirates. 

However, despite USA standing atop the podium in 8 of the last 10 Olympic editions and medaling in all, there have been surprises. Especially when the team wasn’t as dominant, as in Seoul 1988 and Athens 2004. But when the stars feel the patriotic call and have an unstoppable desire to win another gold, the path usually leads to victory.

Dwyane Wade has been one of the most respected voices in American basketball over the past decades. The former Miami Heat player does not share the view that a flood of stars directly equates to victory. He revealed this on the podcast '7pm in Brooklyn' with his friend and former teammate, Carmelo Anthony.

"Flash," as the electrifying shooting guard from Chicago is known, participated in two Olympic Games. In 2004, they were stunned in the semifinals by the golden generation of Argentina, led by Ginóbili, Scola, Nocioni, and Oberto, among others. 

However, in 2008, D-Wade was once again a key piece for Mike Krzyzewski’s (Coach K) team. In Beijing, they achieved gold with a group of players that many experts and fans compared to the 1992 Dream Team, considered the best in history.

However, what did Wade see as the essential factors for winning gold on those teams? Simple. He sees the lack of role players as the biggest challenge for the United States this summer in the Paris Games.

“Now I see the challenges they have”, Wade began explaining to Anthony’s astonished look. “It’s getting serious now, and they’re going to have to figure out in a short period of time that everyone who plays and everyone who doesn’t play will have to figure out how to be a star in the role they need to play for the team to succeed,” concluded the legendary Heat’s number 3.

Wade continued his argument, pointing out that past Olympic teams had a “better mix of stars and role players.” In Beijing 2008, Coach K trusted emerging talents without star status in the league like Michael Redd and Tayshaun Prince.

"I see Bron, I see Steph, I see KD and the list goes on and on," Wade revealed, listing the stars Steve Kerr called up to defend the Tokyo 2020 gold. "I think, 'damn, that’s a team.' But then I know what that team has to do," Wade continued, seeing the key to success in the blend of superstars and role players -hungry every time they stepped on the court-, as the perfect cocktail to achieve Olympic goals.

In any case, the two American basketball icons, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, host and guest, respectively, agreed that the ball is in Team USA’s court. The goal is to bring back a gold, which, if achieved, would be the fifth consecutive. They are increasingly close to surpassing their own record of six, when they dominated widely between Berlin 1936 and Mexico 1968.