Lebron backs Bryant on remarks about beating 92' Dream Team.

[Northman]

So what do you think? I know my feelings on it but im curious how everyone else feels about this Olympic team vs the 92' team.


'http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/basketball/story/_/id/8205408/lebron-james-says-united-states-olympic-team-beat-1992-dream


LeBron James (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/1966/lebron-james) has joined Kobe Bryant (http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/110/kobe-bryant) in saying that he believes this year's Team USA Olympic men's basketball team could beat the 1992 Dream Team.


"The '92 Dream Team paved the way for all of us ... We understand what they did for our game, but we also are big-time competitors as well, so if we got the opportunity to play them in a game we feel like we would win, too," James said.

Personally, i remember watching a bit of history on the 92' team and how they lost to some college players in practice because they were unfocused. A day later they came back and annihilated that same college team. So to some degree Kobe and LeBron are right, if the circumstances were that the 92' players came in lazy and unfocused yea they could beat them. But if both teams came in focused and playing 100% i dont think this year's team would stand a chance whatsoever.

[Ravage!!!]

That team had some great great players, but a few of thei '92 team were at the end of their careers as well (much like Kobe)... so its hard to say. On paper, the '92 team is better. But I don't blame ANY player for feeling that they could beat anyone. Thats how they should feel. In a sense, that is exactly what Lebron is saying.

[Northman]

Confidence is fine, i dont have a problem with that but the reality is i just dont think they could beat them even at that stage of their careers.

[Ravage!!!]

Confidence is fine, i dont have a problem with that but the reality is i just dont think they could beat them even at that stage of their careers.

Yeah, I agree. I also feel that the basketball game was different then. More team play instead of what we see today (although it was getting to the end of that era). Today, imo, is just BAD basketball.

[NightTrainLayne]

No way the current team would beat the 92 team. It's not even close.

[MOtorboat]

I think they need to shut up and win gold.

Then we'll talk.

[Ravage!!!]

I don't think whether or not they win a gold is relevant. Certainly not going to stop the reporters from asking the questions.

[Ravage!!!]

No way the current team would beat the 92 team. It's not even close.

Thats what people said about the Giants beating Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl... the FIRST time

[MOtorboat]

I don't think whether or not they win a gold is relevant. Certainly not going to stop the reporters from asking the questions.

If they don't win the gold they can't even begin to be in the conversation.

[Ravage!!!]

If they don't win the gold they can't even begin to be in the conversation.

Why not? How does winning the gold have anything to do with one team beating another....hypothetically? It doesn't.

[MOtorboat]

Why not? How does winning the gold have anything to do with one team beating another....hypothetically? It doesn't.

Touché,

But in my mind, if you can't win gold, you can't beat the best team ever assembled.

[Northman]

Thats what people said about the Giants beating Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl... the FIRST time

Not quite the same though. Impressive but not the same. With the NBA and especially the players involved your taking the best of the best vs a few great players and pitting them against one another. Its not like taking a NFL pro bowl team (if they took it serious enough) and playing the Giants.

[Ravage!!!]

Touché,

But in my mind, if you can't win gold, you can't beat the best team ever assembled.

Perhaps...but that "best team ever assembled"... didn't play against the same opponents this team will, nor in the same era where the international teams have grown exponentially since that '92 team (and because of that '92 olympics).

[Ravage!!!]

Not quite the same though. Impressive but not the same. With the NBA and especially the players involved your taking the best of the best vs a few great players and pitting them against one another. Its not like taking a NFL pro bowl team (if they took it serious enough) and playing the Giants.

No, its not the same thing. But people said that the game wouldn't even be close. That Patriots team had achieved an 18-0 record...thus being the "Greatest team" in NFL history based on the record. I'm just stating the old cliche' "never say never."

[Denver Native (Carol)]

No way the current team would beat the 92 team. It's not even close.

I totally agree with this

[NightTrainLayne]

This Olympic team doesn't even have all of the best players in the 2012 NBA. How can they claim to be better than the best team ever assembled?

[FanInAZ]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/1992-dream-team-forever-best-ever-fans-160600251--nba.html


For one, Charles Barkley found Bryant's comments laughable in a Philadelphia radio interview; defending the "older" tag referenced by Bryant. "How old is Kobe? Isn't he 34 or 35? Well, when we played, Michael (Jordan) and I were both 29." Barkley then went on to say that of the current Olympic players, only Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant would be good enough to make the 1992 squad.

In my opinion, 10 of the 12 players had spent their careers proving that they were the best in the world, they were joined by the 2 top college prospects. Shaq went on to have a Dream Team worthy career, Laettner was career was OK, but it wouldn't be hard to find a better PF from today's NBA.


If you look at the 1992 Dream Team, the only players on the roster 30 years or older were John Stockton (30), Magic Johnson (32), Clyde Drexler (30), and Larry Bird (35). The remaining players were well in their playing prime and not as "old" as Bryant suggests.

That basic blows the entire basis for Bryant's view out of the water.


Upon further inspection, the 1992 team consisted of 11 future Hall of Fame players along with the reigning NCAA player of the year (Laettner). Collectively the 1992 team won 11 MVP awards, 23 NBA titles, five NCAA titles and appeared in 105 all-star games.

The 2012 team has won four MVP awards (three by James), seven NBA titles (five by Bryant) along with 43 all-star appearances. Despite being younger, the current Olympic team's all-star appearances as a percentage of their number of seasons are dwarfed by that of their predecessors.

Is there anything else that needs to be said?


Flash vs. Substance

Over the past 20 years, the style of play in the NBA has further progressed into a display of individual skill. In the era of the '92 Dream Team, the general style of play was individual but their Olympic style was team-oriented. Yes, there was individual self-promotion, and the team promoted their stars heavily during that era as well; but the fact is, the '92 team was extremely unselfish when it came to re-claiming the Gold Medal. It can be said that, at times the team was too unselfish.

The reason why the 1992 team was so special was that each player traded in their tremendous pride and ego to accomplish greatness. Now 20 years later, the attitude of some of the contributors is that the Gold Medal is an inherited right; and that merely appearing will result in an easy victory. While the '92 team had equal confidence in their abilities, their motivation was to make a statement; that they were the very best team the world had ever seen and was hell bent on proving it every second of each game.

Wow, I thought that I was the only one that had figured this out.

[Northman]

Nice job Fan. Agree with everything.

[Ravage!!!]

yeah. That was the first time a team had been assembled, professionally, for the olympics. Now, 20 years later, it just doesn't have the same "flare" as it did then.

Personally, I STILL hate that professionals are in the Olympic sports and think it takes away from the feel of the events. That '92 team truly was an amazing assembly of athletes.

[Northman]

Yea..............the US men had to struggle to beat 1-3 Lithuania last night.

http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/basketball/story/_/id/8233394/2012-london-olympics-lebron-james-late-rally-puts-us-men-lithuania

[Ravage!!!]

THey did, but the day before they were criticized for running up the score, or trying to "humilate" another team. They definitely weren't into that game against Lith.

[pnbronco]

No way the current team would beat the 92 team. It's not even close.

Carol this is how I feel as well. Great find with AZ. It's nice to see in real stats what my gut has told me all along.

[Poet]

I want to know how this team matches up with the 92 team and their bigs. Who answers Robinson and Ewing? And if they played the game with the officiating of basketball in 92, how will this team deal with that? Vice versa as well.

[EMB6903]

92 dream team would dominate the 2012 team

[yuhateme80]

I think it depends on style of play if they call touch fouls this yr team will lose but if they let be physical this yr team will win 92 team might be taller this yr team is faster n stronger

[FanInAZ]

I think it depends on style of play if they call touch fouls this yr team will lose but if they let be physical this yr team will win 92 team might be taller this yr team is faster n stronger

The players of the 92 team invented physical play. Charles Barkley was "The Round Mound of Rebound," who literally threw his weight around and pushed defenders out of their spot even though they were there 1st. If you think the 92 team wasn't physical, then you didn't watch them play.