July 12, 2012
Kobe Bryant was asked this week if he thought this current USA Men's Basketball team was better than the 1992 Dream Team. Bryant gave his thoughts to the question:
"Well, just from a basketball standpoint, they obviously have a lot more size than we do — you know, with [David] Robinson and [Patrick] Ewing and [Karl] Malone and those guys," Bryant said. "But they were also — some of those wing players — were also a lot older, at kind of the end of their careers. We have just a bunch of young racehorses, guys that are eager to compete."
"So I don't know," Bryant continued, the trace of a smile beginning to play its way across his face. "It'd be a tough one, but I think we'd pull it out."
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were quick to stand up for the '92 squad, saying their Olympic team would have beaten this current team. Both were members of the one of the best basketball teams ever assembled.
The great thing about sports is debating ideas or topics we will never know the answer too. Kobe's comments does lead to a great debate.
Could any member of the '92 squad have guarded LeBron James? In like token, could any member of this squad guard Jordan?
Would Magic Johnson and Larry Bird hold up against a squad more talented than any they faced on the way to gold medal in 1992? Could this current team handle the size and skill of two centers like Patrick Ewing and David Robinson?
Here is the roster for the '92 team:
Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen
Larry Bird
Magic Johnson
Charles Barkley
David Robinson
Patrick Ewing
John Stockton
Karl Malone
Chris Mullin
Clyde Drexler
Christian Laettner
The current squad is made up of:
LeBron James
Russel Westbrook
Kevin Durant
Kobe Bryant
Carmelo Anthony
Kevin Love
Chris Paul
James Harden
Andre Iguodala
Deron Williams
Tyson Chandler
Blake Griffin* (Griffin injured his knee and could be replaced by Anthony Davis)
I have watched players from both teams play and both teams have talented players. Still, there is no question in my mind, the original Dream Team would beat the current one.
No player on the current squad had the drive to win like Jordan, Magic and Bird. The '92 team was made up of 11 future Hall of Famers.
The biggest reason the '92 squad would win is because of Jordan. No one, and I mean no one, closes a game like he did and willed his teams to victory in his prime.
Let the debate begin! Who do you think would win between these two talented rosters?
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