No group can ever match the original Dream Team, right?
That was the group that came to the Barcelona Games in 1992, the first time NBA players had been allowed in the Olympics.
And they trashed people. Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley … I want to say John Stockton, Scotty Pippen, Patrick Ewing. Those guys. I think Larry Bird was there. Oh, and Magic Johnson, too.
Greatest team ever assembled, seems to be the way they have gone down in history.
But I’m about ready to rewrite history. If it’s up to me.
If the 2008 American team wins gold tomorrow … I’m calling these guys the best basketball team ever assembled.
The Dream Team of 1992 wasted the opposition. But the opposition wasn’t much, 16 years ago.
The Redeem Team (cuz the Yanks settled for bronze, in 2004) has crushed the opposition by scores almost as big as the 1992 team did.
But they are doing it against much, much better opposition. Nearly every team at Beijing has an NBA star on it. Argentina, past whom Kobe & The Guys coasted in the semis, had three prominent NBA players — Manu Ginobili, Carlos Delfine, Luis Scola and Andres Nocioni. And the Yanks went through them like Sherman through Georgia, easing home at 101-81.
Spain is up next, and if this U.S. team puts the Spaniard to the sword, as well …
I’m going to go ahead and say it. This team, with Kobe, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, et al … is better than the Dream Team. Just flat better. I believe this team would beat them, head to head.
And we know this: If this team defeat Spain, they will have won a much, much tougher gold medal than did Michael and the Guys back in Barcelona.
2 responses so far ↓
1 George Alfano // Aug 25, 2008 at 2:25 PM
The 1960 US Olympic team ranks up there, if for no other reason than it had Jerry West and Oscar Robertson on the same team.
2 Eugene Fields // Aug 26, 2008 at 9:38 AM
I am shocked every time I hear/read that statement – and then I laugh. Less than 2 months ago, very few people thought the Redeem Team would win the gold medal.
Now they’re comparing these guys with the original Dream Team. I’m not going to break down position by position, but I’ll make a few points.
1) The Redeem Team has no true center – The Dream Team had 2, both of whom were athletic and could score from 15 feet.
2) The Dream Team shot better from the field and from the free throw line – not just in the Olympics – but for their career.
3) While the Redeem Team needed a 3-year commitment from its players to gel and be successful, the Dream Team went to Monte Carlo and had a couple of practices and like 2-3 scrimmages.
Imagine if the Dream Team played the same kind of schedule the Redeem Team did and took the time to truly gel – The only problem would be limiting Bird’s minutes because of his back.
I’m happy the Redeem Team proved people wrong and won gold – Let’s not get overzealous with the heaping on of praise.
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