RealGM

Ok back in 1992 the USA Mens basketball team was called the greatest group of talent ever put on a floor of competition. They were nicknamed the dream team, because only in a dream could that type of talent ever be put on the same team together. In 1992 the dream team became a reality in mens olympic basketball. They not only destroyed their competition but had the competition in awe of who they were playing against.

The team consisted of...
Centers - Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Christian Latener (who was really a PF)
Forwards - Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin.
Guards- Michael Jordan, Ervin "Magic" Johnson, Clyde Drexler,John Stockton.

when the team stepped on to the court together they proved why they were the dream team fascinating people who have watched them for years and people who have never seen them play before. The U.S team won back the Gold medal in mens basketball and set the very high standard for it's predecessors.

In the field of competition the highest honor you can give a player or team would be to retire the number of the player or players from a team that made such a impact. Seeing as we may never see another collection of talent like this ever come together in the field of sport's would we as fans be against the thought of team USA retiring the #'s of the players from dream team one?

For one, where would they be retired?

Two you have to wonder whether or not this current team would have the same success against the watered down international competition from 16 years ago, then ask yourself if retiring a jersey for that kind of play is really necessary.

I'm pretty sure most of those guys already have their numbers retired, and for teams where they played a heck of a lot more than a handful of games.

Gary Payton was a great player. Doesn't mean Miami will retire his jersey because he won a title there in one season.

Also aren't the jersey numbers very limited in terms of the highest number? It would make it very difficult.

The only numbers legal under FIBA rules are 4 through 15. I'm not sure what the numbers on the original dream team were, but they were something like 3 through 14. The US can't retire them if they ever want to field a team again.

^^^^^^
even if they didn't field a team they'd probably blow every team out by 50.

but yeh only numbers 4-15 are allowed...

Is there a reason for it?

No.

In the NBA, it's about the team but it's also about contracts, money, endorsements, making an all star team, etc.

In the Olympics, there's more of a singular focus on the team rather than oneself- since there is no money involved and players play because it's a honor to represent their country.

By retiring a player's number, it makes it more about the player(s) and individual success rather than the team. The players of 92 are seen as having made a greater contribution than say, the players of 96, or the players of 2000, both who ultimately still won the Gold- in a way it puts the players above the other teams that won.

And that's just the opposite of what the Olympics stand for IMO- that no player should ever be more important than the team.

Don't know if that makes sense, but that's what I think.