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The Olympic men's basketball tournament was either going to result in a rightful re-ordering of the United States's place at the top of the sport, or another colossal upset.

In the end, we got the former, but not without a hint that the latter is possible.

The U.S. defeated Spain 118-107 for the Olympic championship on Sunday in a game highly befitting its gold-medal award. Stay tuned, London, a rematch beckons in 2012.

"We played with great character in one of the great international games in basketball history," U.S. head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Everybody involved played at the highest level."

The tournament displayed the best basketball has to offer — players, teams, sportsmanship and atmosphere. Somewhere, Canadian James Naismith was smiling. The game he invented was the big winner in Beijing.

"This kind of match is very beneficial, not just to basketball in Spain, but to the whole world," Spanish head coach Aito Garcia Reneses said.

The final was 40 immensely entertaining minutes, with spectacular performances from the Americans, and beautiful team ball from the Spaniards, who were missing point guard Jose Calderon (thigh injury) of the Toronto Raptors.

On one side there was the clutch play of global superstar Kobe Bryant, and on the other, the youthful genius of 17-year-old Ricky Rubio, a Spanish "Pistol Pete" Maravich right down to the mop-top hair and dazzling hands.

The raucous setting — Beijing's Olympic Basketball Gymnasium — added to the theatre. The mostly Chinese crowd cheered wildly for both teams, and was appreciative of good play, regardless of its author.

The natives treated the U.S. luminaries like rock stars, giving them receptions similar to what the original Dream Team got at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Afterwards, both teams took turns huddling at centre-court, and both applauded the fans for their patronage.

"On behalf of everyone involved in United States basketball, we want to thank everyone here for following this tournament and for the class manner of the organizers," said Krzyzewski, the Hall of Fame coach at Duke University who was won three U.S. collegiate championships. "It was the greatest experience in my life, and in the lives of the other coaches."

Four years ago, the Americans lost to Argentina in a semi-final game in Athens, and settled for a bronze medal (only the third time they had not won Olympic gold).

Managing director Jerry Colangelo set out to repair that result and to repair the image of the U.S. senior national team. He loathed the entitled attitude, the selfish and disjointed style, the negative body language, and the team's isolation from the Olympic experience.

In Beijing, the Americans played as team and visited their fellow competitors in the Athletes' Village. They showed opponents due respect, and there was no infighting. They posed — and smiled — for photographs, and signed autographs for the Chinese fans who were awed to be in their presence.

"This is a testament to the system that Mr. Colangelo put in place," Bryant said. "Everybody wants to talk about NBA players being selfish and being arrogant and being individuals, but what you saw today was a team bonding together, facing adversity and coming out here with a big win."

Four players — James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer — were part of that 2004 Olympic team and returned to play for the 2008 "Redeem Team."

"Now that I look back at '04, it was a blessing," Anthony said. "We were at America's lowest point in '04, and to be sitting here tonight on top of the world, I think we did a hell of a job of putting American basketball back where it is supposed to be."

For the Americans, their tournament began with a game of great cultural significance, and ended with a game of great sporting significance.

Right out of the shoot, the U.S. played China in the preliminary round, the first chance the Middle Kingdom has had to see all the American stars on one floor. The presence of Yao Ming, the singular force in promoting the NBA to the world's largest market, added to the excitement.

In that game, the Chinese fans set the classy, respectful tone they have demonstrated at every Olympic venue. The only boos and whistles came when they disagreed with an official's call — a universal indulgence for sports fans.

The gold-medal game played out as other U.S. contests did. The Americans were not perfectly organized or able to use their superior depth in the early stages, similar to their games against China and Australia.

Spain, the defending world champion, led by as many as five points and was up 22-21 with 3:44 remaining in the opening quarter. James and Bryant were in foul trouble, and Spain was scoring some easy and unlikely baskets courtesy of Rubio and NBA star Pau Gasol.

But Chris Paul and Wade, the game's high scorer with 27 points, came off the bench and led the American surge. Paul made a couple of three-point plays, and Wade stole a pass and dunked to give the U.S. a lead it would never relinquish.

But the lead was threatened. Early in the fourth quarter, Spain pulled to within a basket at 91-89. The Europeans stayed within striking range until Bryant hit a three-point shot, and was fouled, to make it 108-99 with 3:10 remaining.

"Much respect to Spain," James said, "but the U.S. is back on top again."