First of all let me preface this (because I know there are some people here who dislike 90's NBA). Don't look at LBJ vs Jordan or Magic Vs. Kobe or Bird chillin' on the bench because of his back. Let's start w/ this. Who (for u people who ACTUALLY think the current team would win) the hell is gonna stop David Robinson or Pat Ewing when BOTH were in thier prime? Tyson Chandler can only guard 1 of them. When he sits who guards the other guy? Anthony Davis? Charles Barkley in his prime (like he was in 92) would push this thin *** kid underneath the goal. Then we didn't even mention who is guarding a MUCH more explosive Karl Malone who ALSO was in his prime. And after all of that we now can get to mention arguably the best tag team in NBA history. Pippen (who btw came off this teams bench) & Jordan. There is a reason this team's coach NEVER used time outs. He didn't freakin' need them! The difference in 2012's team & the dream team is simple....the dream team had CHAMPIONS on it. This current squad w/ AAU circut kids had EVERYTHING handed to them. The dream team was chock full of guys who had to bust thier *** off to get the money & fame they garnered! Mj was told his WHOLE life he couldn't & wouldn't make it. LBJ at the same age was getting the new jordan's HANDED to him or "gifts" just mysteriously "appeared" at his doorstep. The 92' Dream team would 17ing smash this bunch of cry babies!
Didn't see this yet: Dream Team Vs. 2012 Usa team
- Thread starter hulkbuster
- Start date
how the Dream Team in their 1992 prime would fare against international play today. I have no doubt that the Dream Team would still win, but there is also no doubt that the international teams today are much better than in 1992 as well.
The 1992 Dream Team was the greatest team ever assembled from a talent standpoint. Possibly in any sport.
The 1992 Dream Team was the greatest team ever assembled from a talent standpoint. Possibly in any sport.
ten years. That's not much parity. But you're right, the international game has improved 10x. That, and today's Olympic team isn't the best 12 players in the NBA.
Never occurred to me before now, but they really had every position and every need covered with 1st team All-NBA talent. Not only that, I think the closest thing to a one dimensional player was Patrick Ewing. There were a couple of players without great defense, but everybody could score and everybody but Ewing could shoot.
The international teams are much, much better (in part b/c the Dream team made basketball so popular everywhere else), but I still think the dream team would win every game by 20+ points, as long as somebody told them ahead of time that there was no way they would blow everybody out.
The international teams are much, much better (in part b/c the Dream team made basketball so popular everywhere else), but I still think the dream team would win every game by 20+ points, as long as somebody told them ahead of time that there was no way they would blow everybody out.
worthy. I think sheer awe helped some too. I mean opposing players were asking for autographs. Weren't there like two international players in the NBA then? Now we can play a Spain with both Gasol brothers and Ricky Rubio (if he was healthy) running the point.
Before I start my tirade. I'm just trying to clarify something you said. Did u say Pat could NOT shoot? Umm if so, did u watch the knicks? They were by all means my favorite team in the NBA. I hated mj & the bulls BUT admission is something I don't have a problem with, as I have stated before him (mj) being tge greatest player ever. But Ewing DID have a mid-range jumper very similar to Karl Malone's.
2012 Team - 2 MVPs with a combined 4 trophies
1992 Team - 6 MVPs with a combined 15 trophies
Furthermore, the 2012 team has undeniably 2 of the top 25 players of all time and most likely 3-4 by the end of their careers.
The 1992 team, on the other hand, has undeniably 7 of the top 25 players of all time while some would make an argument for as many as 9
As some have pointed out, there's no doubt that the '92 team would struggle more with today's international competition than they did 20 years ago, but comparing the two teams is still a joke to me.
1992 Team - 6 MVPs with a combined 15 trophies
Furthermore, the 2012 team has undeniably 2 of the top 25 players of all time and most likely 3-4 by the end of their careers.
The 1992 team, on the other hand, has undeniably 7 of the top 25 players of all time while some would make an argument for as many as 9
As some have pointed out, there's no doubt that the '92 team would struggle more with today's international competition than they did 20 years ago, but comparing the two teams is still a joke to me.
Only LBJ, Kobe, KG, and Chris Paul would make the Dream Team roster. Maybe Deron Williams.
Andre Iguodala? Tyson Chandler? James Harden? Kevin Love? Not a chance.
That Dream Team may be the best team ever assembled in any sport in the history of the Milky Way.
Andre Iguodala? Tyson Chandler? James Harden? Kevin Love? Not a chance.
That Dream Team may be the best team ever assembled in any sport in the history of the Milky Way.
The '92 team were champions, but this team is not?
4 players on the '92 team were NBA champions at the time. 3 players on this year's team have been NBA champions.
Wow, great point by you.
The average age of the '92 team was over 29 years old. The current team's average age is 25.8 If this year's team were the same average age, there would be 36+ more chances for them to have gotten championships. Pretty sure 1 more of the guys from this team could get a championship by then.
You really dont think LeBron could match up against Ewing? Ewing would have a few inches on LeBron, but they would be equal in weight and muscle. Sure, Ewing could have an advantage at times over LeBron, but LeBron would have a HUGE advantage over Ewing too, actually a few advantages.
For the record, i really dont get all the need to compare teams that are 20 years apart. I could make a list comparing each player on the current team and show how they could exploit the weaknesses of the '92 team's players.
It could go back and forth over and over. Only people like you with their heels dug in the dirt over some odd issue willpassionately argueone way or the other which team was better. And the reason is usually a stupid one. Yours seems to be that these here young whipper-snappers dont appreciate hard work because they have everything handed to them without even trying. Im pretty spot on with that assessment of your dumb dislike, arent i?
Another poster asked a much better topic than your rant- how would the '92 team do against current competition? I think they would still win, but it would actually be good games that were worth watching more than 10 minutes of.
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4 players on the '92 team were NBA champions at the time. 3 players on this year's team have been NBA champions.
Wow, great point by you.
The average age of the '92 team was over 29 years old. The current team's average age is 25.8 If this year's team were the same average age, there would be 36+ more chances for them to have gotten championships. Pretty sure 1 more of the guys from this team could get a championship by then.
You really dont think LeBron could match up against Ewing? Ewing would have a few inches on LeBron, but they would be equal in weight and muscle. Sure, Ewing could have an advantage at times over LeBron, but LeBron would have a HUGE advantage over Ewing too, actually a few advantages.
For the record, i really dont get all the need to compare teams that are 20 years apart. I could make a list comparing each player on the current team and show how they could exploit the weaknesses of the '92 team's players.
It could go back and forth over and over. Only people like you with their heels dug in the dirt over some odd issue willpassionately argueone way or the other which team was better. And the reason is usually a stupid one. Yours seems to be that these here young whipper-snappers dont appreciate hard work because they have everything handed to them without even trying. Im pretty spot on with that assessment of your dumb dislike, arent i?
Another poster asked a much better topic than your rant- how would the '92 team do against current competition? I think they would still win, but it would actually be good games that were worth watching more than 10 minutes of.
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So, it would stand to reason that this team would have fewer trophies accumulated. Using your formula, sticking Duncan on the roster just to add his MVP and Finals trophies to the total would make the team better.<div>
</div><div>Also, there were no Canadians and Germans taking away MVP and NBA trophies away back then. All of the MVPs and best players on championship teams were American. Of course that team will have more trophies.</div><div>
</div><div>However, the argument is stupid because the 1992 team had no weaknesses. This team has a pretty glaring weakness in the paint. The 2008 team was better than this one, I think.</div>
</div><div>Also, there were no Canadians and Germans taking away MVP and NBA trophies away back then. All of the MVPs and best players on championship teams were American. Of course that team will have more trophies.</div><div>
</div><div>However, the argument is stupid because the 1992 team had no weaknesses. This team has a pretty glaring weakness in the paint. The 2008 team was better than this one, I think.</div>
no doubt Isiah pissed off some of the players with his play. But according to documentary I watched about a week or two ago on the Dream Team, it wasn't just MJ that had a problem with Isiah. Larry Bird didn't like him either, and there was one other- I think it was Pippen.
I would have, as a fan, liked to have seen him on the team. Especially in lieu of Christian Laettner. I know they wanted a college player on the team for whatever reason.
The reason I say it's a shame is because there were certainly some players that were rivals on the team that were rivals- such as Barkley/Malone, MJ/Magic and I guess to an extent Bird although he knew he was near the end of the line at that point. Those players had some battles in practice with each other in practice, but ultimately came together and put their rivalries aside.
Chuck Daly did an awesome job of coaching that team.
Too bad they couldn't expand the roster to put Dominique Wilkins and Dennis Rodman on the team, and it's too bad that Hakeem Olajuwan was a Nigerian citizen.
I would have, as a fan, liked to have seen him on the team. Especially in lieu of Christian Laettner. I know they wanted a college player on the team for whatever reason.
The reason I say it's a shame is because there were certainly some players that were rivals on the team that were rivals- such as Barkley/Malone, MJ/Magic and I guess to an extent Bird although he knew he was near the end of the line at that point. Those players had some battles in practice with each other in practice, but ultimately came together and put their rivalries aside.
Chuck Daly did an awesome job of coaching that team.
Too bad they couldn't expand the roster to put Dominique Wilkins and Dennis Rodman on the team, and it's too bad that Hakeem Olajuwan was a Nigerian citizen.
"The players who were left off the 1992 team could beat this current group."
Don't remember where I heard it but I chuckled.
Please note: this is just something I thought was funny......no opinion implied.
Don't remember where I heard it but I chuckled.
Please note: this is just something I thought was funny......no opinion implied.
But I had read it was citizenship that was the issue. By the time the 1996 Olympics had come around, he had received his US citizenship.
I can concede that there are certain areas where the 2012 team has a probable advantage, but overall, I still just don't see a comparison.
PG - Magic/Stockton vs. Paul/Williams - Advantage '92, no contest
SG - Jordan vs Kobe - Advantage '92, I respect Kobe but we're talking about the near undisputed greatest player of all time here
SF - James/Durant vs Pippen/Bird - Advantage '12 in a close contest
PF - Love/Griffin vs Malone/Barkely - Advantage '92, no contest
C - no need to even review this one - Advantage '92, no contest
Don't get me wrong, there are some things that the current team probably does better than the '92 version, but again... From top to bottom, I just don't think it's close.
PG - Magic/Stockton vs. Paul/Williams - Advantage '92, no contest
SG - Jordan vs Kobe - Advantage '92, I respect Kobe but we're talking about the near undisputed greatest player of all time here
SF - James/Durant vs Pippen/Bird - Advantage '12 in a close contest
PF - Love/Griffin vs Malone/Barkely - Advantage '92, no contest
C - no need to even review this one - Advantage '92, no contest
Don't get me wrong, there are some things that the current team probably does better than the '92 version, but again... From top to bottom, I just don't think it's close.
is the legend status that the Dream Team had. You knew every one of those guys was a Hall of Famer and would make best ever lists. The team captured a lot of good will from the fans for being the first team that really got to show the world what happens when we play our real best players in some sport.
You just don't see the love and admiration for the 2012 guys that you did for Bird, Johnson, Jordan and the others. You could almost make the argument that this probably is the best US olympic team that no one gives a rip about.
You just don't see the love and admiration for the 2012 guys that you did for Bird, Johnson, Jordan and the others. You could almost make the argument that this probably is the best US olympic team that no one gives a rip about.