1992 Dream Team or 2012 Olympic Team?

[falafel]

Stockton managed to be quick enough on his feet to pick up more steals than anybody ever. That's got to count for something.

Quick hands. Plus he was crafty.

I just don't think he could stay in front of Paul or Westbrook.

[Non Sequitur]

The 92 team was great, but if the two teams played today, this team would definitely beat them. The game has changed. When Jordan came on the scene he was a freak athlete. We had never seen anybody like him. Now, every team in the NBA has a player or two that is just as as athletic as Jordan was. The 92 team was great because those players set a bar that no one else on the planet could reach. Today, lots of players have reached that par and surpassed it.

Jesse Owens was great in his day, but Usain Bolt would kick his ass today, just as Babe Ruth would struggle with Justin Verlander's fast ball.

[All-American]

The 92 team was great, but if the two teams played today, this team would definitely beat them. The game has changed. When Jordan came on the scene he was a freak athlete. We had never seen anybody like him. Now, every team in the NBA has a player or two that is just as as athletic as Jordan was. The 92 team was great because those players set a bar that no one else on the planet could reach. Today, lots of players have reached that par and surpassed it.

Jesse Owens was great in his day, but Usain Bolt would kick his ass today, just as Babe Ruth would struggle with Justin Verlander's fast ball.

Plus, the 92 team is really old by now. They've all been retired for some time.

[calicoug]

I know there is probably great sentiment for the original, and I admit to falling into that camp, but the original guys often overlook a critical but relevant fact. They like to cite to their utter dominance over the competition...rolling teams by an average of 40 ppg or somesuch.

However, flashing back to 1992, how many Euros were playing in the NBA, let alone at a high level? For the vast majority of the opposition, this was the first time the players had ever seen these NBA stars in person. Of course they were awestruck. Of course they were not used to playing against Jordan and the like.

Fast forward to today. Pretty much all of the good countries in the Olympics compete with one or more NBA players on their rosters. Tony Parker plays for France, Brasil has what....3 NBA players? Argentina, Spain....these guys play with or against Lebron and Kobe all season long. There is no awestruck moment and the current Team USA is playing more and more against legit NBA talent as opposed to starstruck hayseeds that were just happy to be involved in the Olympics.

I guess my point is that while I would still lean towards the original team, Im not so sure it would be the rout that some might think. This current team USA is hampered....D12 should be on the team, Wade, Blake Griffin. But at full strength, this current team is pretty good. I think it would be a good game.

Agreed, but line them up position by position and ask yourself who you would take at that point in time.

SG: Jordan/Drexler v Koby/Harden
PG: Stockton/Magic v Williams/Paul/Westbrook
C: Robinson/Ewing v Chandler/Anthony Davis
PF: Barkley/Malone v Love/Davis
SF: Pippen/Mullin (Bird had hurt back) v Durant/James

I would argue 1992 has the edge at SG, C, PG and PF. I'll give SF to 2012.

Not to mention, the chemistry on the 1992 team was unreal.

[CardiacCoug]

The 92 team was great, but if the two teams played today, this team would definitely beat them. The game has changed. When Jordan came on the scene he was a freak athlete. We had never seen anybody like him. Now, every team in the NBA has a player or two that is just as as athletic as Jordan was. The 92 team was great because those players set a bar that no one else on the planet could reach. Today, lots of players have reached that bar and surpassed it.

Jesse Owens was great in his day, but Usain Bolt would kick his ass today, just as Babe Ruth would struggle with Justin Verlander's fast ball.

That's what I'm thinking too.

Things have changed a lot since 1992 and I think it's really probably a toss-up but I voted for the 2012 team.

[calicoug]

The 92 team was great, but if the two teams played today, this team would definitely beat them. The game has changed. When Jordan came on the scene he was a freak athlete. We had never seen anybody like him. Now, every team in the NBA has a player or two that is just as as athletic as Jordan was. The 92 team was great because those players set a bar that no one else on the planet could reach. Today, lots of players have reached that par and surpassed it.

Jesse Owens was great in his day, but Usain Bolt would kick his ass today, just as Babe Ruth would struggle with Justin Verlander's fast ball.

Not really fair to say 1992/2012 is akin to Bolt v Owens or Ruth v Verlander. There are members of the 2012 team that actually played in the league at the same time as members of the 1992 team. Yes- players continually are getting more athletic, but the difference from 1992 to 2012 isn't as big a gulf as you suggest.

[TripletDaddy]

Agreed, but line them up position by position and ask yourself who you would take at that point in time.

SG: Jordan/Drexler v Koby/Harden
PG: Stockton/Magic v Williams/Paul/Westbrook
C: Robinson/Ewing v Chandler/Anthony Davis
PF: Barkley/Malone v Love/Davis
SF: Pippen/Mullin (Bird had hurt back) v Durant/James

I would argue 1992 has the edge at SG, C, PG and PF. I'll give SF to 2012.

Not to mention, the chemistry on the 1992 team was unreal.

Oh, I said that I would still go 1992. My point is that I don't think it would be a rout. Also, this current team needs to have the roster it should have right now, including D12, wade, griffin.

My other point is that the old dudes love to reference their MOV as evidence of their dominance yet always fail to mention that the competition they were playing basically sucked. The opposing teams were more interested in getting autographs than competing in the game.

[calicoug]

Oh, I said that I would still go 1992. My point is that I don't think it would be a rout. Also, this current team needs to have the roster it should have right now, including D12, wade, griffin.

My other point is that the old dudes love to reference their MOV as evidence of their dominance yet always fail to mention that the competition they were playing basically sucked. The opposing teams were more interested in getting autographs than competing in the game.

First of all, I don't think you can just go and swap out players you want to be on the team for this comparison. Second, if you did, you would also have to swap them out on the 1992 team. Instead of Laettner, add Shaq. Take off Bird and add Isaiah. Rodman may even make an appearance.

D12 and Griffin would arguably be better than Robinson and Ewing, but a young Shaq plus Rodman/Thomas again puts it to 1992 I think.

[TripletDaddy]

First of all, I don't think you can just go and swap out players you want to be on the team for this comparison. Second, if you did, you would also have to swap them out on the 1992 team. Instead of Laettner, add Shaq. Take off Bird and add Isaiah. Rodman may even make an appearance.

D12 and Griffin would arguably be better than Robinson and Ewing, but a young Shaq plus Rodman/Thomas again puts it to 1992 I think.

The 92 team omitted deserving guys...most notably isiah. This current team is depleted because several of them had surgery, specifically D12 and wade. Griffin hurt himself two weeks ago practicing with team USA. But for those things, those guys would be on the team. 1992 rookie Shaq was not even on the radar to make that team. The current team doesnt feature the best players n the NBA. The 92 team did.

[calicoug]

The 92 team omitted deserving guys...most notably isiah. This current team is depleted because several of them had surgery, specifically D12 and wade. Griffin hurt himself two weeks ago practicing with team USA. But for those things, those guys would be on the team. 1992 rookie Shaq was not even on the radar to make that team. The current team doesnt feature the best players n the NBA. The 92 team did.

I know he wasn't on the radar, but he was rookie of the year that year with 23 points, 3.5 blocks and almost 14 rebounds a game. He was a beast out of the box. If you are asking who else I would add with the benefit of hindsight to make the team better, I absolutely would add Shaq. And no question Laettner doesn't make the team. I'm not sure I would even let him watch the games on tv.

I honestly don't think Wade would add much to this team in a game versus 1992.

[All-American]

I know he wasn't on the radar, but he was rookie of the year that year with 23 points, 3.5 blocks and almost 14 rebounds a game. He was a beast out of the box. If you are asking who else I would add with the benefit of hindsight to make the team better, I absolutely would add Shaq. And no question Laettner doesn't make the team. I'm not sure I would even let him watch the games on tv.

I honestly don't think Wade would add much to this team in a game versus 1992.

I'm not so sure he wasn't on the radar. The guy was the number 1 pick of the draft. It's not like people didn't know he was good. I could be remembering wrong, but I recall just a little bit of discussion at the time as to whether Laettner was a better pick than Shaq.

[pellegrino]

If I remember correctly, Kobe (who is 33) claimed that they (the '92 team) were all old and at the end of their careers, yet the only players who retired within five years of those Olympics were Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and the only reason Magic retired so soon was because of AIDS. Magic was 33 in 1992. Where does that put you, Kobe?


I also think it's funny how some (Kobe) has discounted some of the players on the '92 team like John Stockton, saying he's not fast enough and that Williams and Paul would blow right by him. Has he forgotten that beside having a bunch of assists (the most ever), Stockton also has a few steals in his career (the most ever). Don't hate the white boy in the little shorts!!


One final thing about the '92 dreamteam. Besides playing together in Barcelona in '92 what do Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson have in common? I'll offer a home made pizza to anyone who can tell me.

[All-American]

If I remember correctly, Kobe (who is 33) claimed that they (the '92 team) were all old and at the end of their careers, yet the only players who retired within five years of those Olympics were Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and the only reason Magic retired so soon was because of AIDS. Magic was 33 in 1992. Where does that put you, Kobe?


I also think it's funny how some (Kobe) has discounted some of the players on the '92 team like John Stockton, saying he's not fast enough and that Williams and Paul would blow right by him. Has he forgotten that beside having a bunch of assists (the most ever), Stockton also has a few steals in his career (the most ever). Don't hate the white boy in the little shorts!!


One final thing about the '92 dreamteam. Besides playing together in Barcelona in '92 what do Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson have in common? I'll offer a home made pizza to anyone who can tell me.

Hall of fame.

(The other thing that's remarkable about Stockton's steals record, by the way: the margin is incredible. The second place person, Jason Kidd, is at 2500. Michael Jordan is not too far behind Jason Kidd. Stockton has something like 3200.)

[pellegrino]

Hall of fame.

(The other thing that's remarkable about Stockton's steals record, by the way: the margin is incredible. The second place person, Jason Kidd, is at 2500. Michael Jordan is not too far behind Jason Kidd. Stockton has something like 3200.)

Hall of fame is good for the pizza, wanna take a stab at the other thing they have in common? It's worth the beverage of your choice.

Edit, I dare say this second thing is more prestigious than the HoF.

[All-American]

Hall of fame is good for the pizza, wanna take a stab at the other thing they have in common? It's worth the beverage of your choice.

Edit, I dare say this second thing is more prestigious than the HoF.

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