Team USA Basketball had its first major test against a tall and talented Brazilian team and they passed with flying colors. The talents have left the team, but the 'leftovers' defined the 'United' in the United States! In the United Center in Chicago, the hometown hero reigned supreme once again.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff had to battle through numerous intrigues, but they knew it was part of the challenge of handling Team USA. When the talent level of those who departed seem to overshadow those who stayed, it becomes a daunting task even for the United States.

But the players showed that it's a team game and they have more than enough talent to go around. Playing in Chicago, the return of Derrick Rose was hotly anticipated, and chants of "MVP" could not be stopped.

Grantland chronicled the action:

"Rose was very into this game early on. Like the fans, he was not pleased with the team's pick-and-roll defense, per the resounding F-bomb he let off after an early mistake.

Anthony Davis was responsible for the play of the game when he dove headfirst into the crowd. This triggered our very first big "U-S-A!" chant. It was a bit of a scary moment, though. THESE GOOSE BUMPS DON'T RUN."

Both Rose and Davis are Chicago natives. Of course, the crowd would salivate at the idea of these two players eventually uniting in Chicago, but the Team USA stint sufficed for the time being.

Other great performances:

"James Harden - He's the player with no Chicago ties who got the loudest ovation from fans. Even though Harden was a bit sloppy early on, he wound up with 18 points, just behind Davis.

Kenneth Faried - It took a total of two possessions for Faried to hit the deck, setting the tone early as Team USA's 'energy guy.' Derrick Rose, Anthony Davis, and James Harden immediately rushed over to help him up, out of respect for the hustle."

Perhaps the player most affected by Kevin Durant's departure is Kenneth Faried. The Manimal was supposed to sustain the energy level in limited minutes when Durant takes a rest, but now he has to play a bigger role. This is the best opportunity for him to move into superstar territory even before the season begins.

But the main takeaway from this game is Team USA really taking "TEAM" to heart:

"This team still has some questions, but I saw guys helping each other up, greeting one another out of timeouts, and celebrating like teenagers after a great play. It became clear this weekend that this was a united team that's going to be very easy to support in a few weeks."

The best team in the world will not need the greatest individual talents-just be the best team, period.