Kobe Bryant has been treated like a rock star by the Chinese people throughout the Games. Friday, the real business of why the Redeem Team is here gets under way.
The U.S., led by Bryant and LeBron James, faces Argentina, the team that beat the Americans in the semifinals of the 2004 and went on to the gold medal, in a rematch in the 2008 semis.
The game is on NBC live Friday at 10:15 a.m. EDT.
— Mike Persinger

