UNCASVILLE, CONN. — With the game of basketball becoming more international over the past few decades, there’s no better sign of that than the NBA MVP award. The annual honor has gone to an international player for the past seven years as fans and pundits wonder when the next American-born player will win MVP again.
Hall of Famer Chris Bosh, speaking Friday from Mohegan Sun, gave his thoughts on who that player could be to earn the MVP award. Bosh spoke for the 2008 USA Basketball men’s team, dubbed ”The Redeem Team,” which will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over the weekend.
“Jayson Tatum, of course, but he’s got his injury,” Bosh said. “It’s really, really tough, especially with a thing like the MVP trophy. You saw who I teamed up with, so it’s very, very difficult. There is a section of young guys that the middle section, the guys in their mid-20s. It’s their time to put their stamp on the game.”
Tatum is a natural selection considering he’s been the best American-born player over the past few years. Tatum has been a first-team All-NBA selection for the past four seasons while leading the Celtics to the 2024 NBA title. He hasn’t been able to crack the MVP award much, though he was an early favorite during the 2022-23 season.
Of course, Tatum is rehabbing his Achilles injury for this upcoming 2025-26 season. He suffered the long-term injury during the second round of the playoffs last year, effectively ending his season. But Tatum is on his way back as he’s already shed the walking boot as he’s detailed the tough, long rehab process that’ll last for months. Even with his injury, Tatum will have some prime years left in his career considering he’s 27 years old.
Bosh was complimentary of the present game and players Friday during the media availability portion of Hall of Fame weekend. Other 2008 members and gold medalists were also at Mohegan Sun, including soon-to-be inductees Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, along with Tayshaun Prince.
The 2008 squad holds a special place in USA Basketball history on the men’s side as they were called “The Redeem Team” after years of coming up short. The Americans fell in the 2004 Olympics to Argentina before getting the bronze medal. While Bosh wasn’t on the 2004 team, he was part of the 2006 squad that lost in the FIBA World Cup. They fell in the semifinals to Greece, though they did beat Argentina in the bronze medal game. Still, it was another third-place finish for the Americans.
The 2008 team’s run is well-documented. They featured multiple future Hall of Famers on their roster on the way to the gold medal. The Americans beat Argentina in the semifinals, getting some revenge, then overcame Spain in the gold medal game. So, that group will be immortalized this season
“So I was watching ‘The Redeem Team’ documentary, I was like, ‘Damn, we were in the piss for a while,’” Bosh said. “We just couldn’t get it together. All these memories started rushing back because I was on that team. ... That redeem arc was very, very important to a lot of people in more ways than one.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.