In hindsight with the level of international competition there is now, does this change how you view the '92 Dream Team?

[SelfishPlayer]

I think they played the fewest minutes aside from Laettner.

Once you move those two names out of the way, you'll notice that the Barkley lovefest is what they hang their hat on, besides MJ of course... Barkley becomes Wilt Chamberlain or anyone that is ever mentioned in GOAT conversation when no one ever mentions Barkley as a GOAT normally.

Congrats on defeating that stawman. I’ve never seen anyone claim that Barkley is the GOAT. He wasn’t the GOAT of his generation and he isn’t the GOAT of his position.

Magic finished 2nd in MVP voting in 1991 and led his team to the finals. He wasn’t cooked.

What I have heard people say is that the Dream Team had 6 MVPs.

If we go by ESPN’s top 75 player ranking the players on the Dream team ranked 1st, 4th, 7th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 32nd, 40th, and 53rd all time.

You don't get the 90-91 Magic Johnson. You get the Magic Johnson that sat out a year and talks about how MJ abused him and Bird in practice.

[durden_tyler]

This is just the Jordan vs LeBron argument, but for teams.

We’ll never get to the bottom of it, and we’ll never know who/which one is better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NZB2323]

Once you move those two names out of the way, you'll notice that the Barkley lovefest is what they hang their hat on, besides MJ of course... Barkley becomes Wilt Chamberlain or anyone that is ever mentioned in GOAT conversation when no one ever mentions Barkley as a GOAT normally.

Congrats on defeating that stawman. I’ve never seen anyone claim that Barkley is the GOAT. He wasn’t the GOAT of his generation and he isn’t the GOAT of his position.

Magic finished 2nd in MVP voting in 1991 and led his team to the finals. He wasn’t cooked.

What I have heard people say is that the Dream Team had 6 MVPs.

If we go by ESPN’s top 75 player ranking the players on the Dream team ranked 1st, 4th, 7th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 32nd, 40th, and 53rd all time.

You don't get the 90-91 Magic Johnson. You get the Magic Johnson that sat out a year and talks about how MJ abused him and Bird in practice.

What team are you comparing them to? Do you believe that LeBron, Curry, and KD are in their prime? Are any of them better than Jokic? I hardly see how Magic losing to Jordan in practice is an indication that he was cooked.

[Warspite]

The Dream Team lost to a bunch of college kids. Serbia and France would both beat them.

Those college kids were pretty good. Better than any college kids in the last 15-20 years. Better than any current NBA team.

Give me Laettner, Shaq, Jim Jackson and Nick Van Exel with the 8 players on that team and switch Montross out for Zo and that team of college kids wins 70+ games next year in the NBA. That team has 10 players who were all-stars and could have been more with better health from Hurley and Rogers.

Penny/Hurley/Van Exel
JJ/Houston
Hill/Mashburn/Rogers
Webber/Laettner
Shaq/Zo

That team is good enough to win the gold or the NBA title in 2024.

[SelfishPlayer]

Congrats on defeating that stawman. I’ve never seen anyone claim that Barkley is the GOAT. He wasn’t the GOAT of his generation and he isn’t the GOAT of his position.

Magic finished 2nd in MVP voting in 1991 and led his team to the finals. He wasn’t cooked.

What I have heard people say is that the Dream Team had 6 MVPs.

If we go by ESPN’s top 75 player ranking the players on the Dream team ranked 1st, 4th, 7th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 32nd, 40th, and 53rd all time.

You don't get the 90-91 Magic Johnson. You get the Magic Johnson that sat out a year and talks about how MJ abused him and Bird in practice.

What team are you comparing them to? Do you believe that LeBron, Curry, and KD are in their prime? Are any of them better than Jokic? I hardly see how Magic losing to Jordan in practice is an indication that he was cooked.

He was cooked as a MVP player. Chris Mullin played more minutes per game than Magic for the Dream Team. LeBron, Curry, and KD are as good or better right now than that version of Chris Mullin and Magic received less minutes than he did.

[NZB2323]

You don't get the 90-91 Magic Johnson. You get the Magic Johnson that sat out a year and talks about how MJ abused him and Bird in practice.

What team are you comparing them to? Do you believe that LeBron, Curry, and KD are in their prime? Are any of them better than Jokic? I hardly see how Magic losing to Jordan in practice is an indication that he was cooked.

He was cooked as a MVP player. Chris Mullin played more minutes per game than Magic for the Dream Team. LeBron, Curry, and KD are as good or better right now than that version of Chris Mullin and Magic received less minutes than he did.

Didn’t the Dream team win by an average of 40-50 points? Going by minutes per game in blowouts where the starters rest is a strange standard, especially when Mullin played 3 more minutes per game.

[SelfishPlayer]

What team are you comparing them to? Do you believe that LeBron, Curry, and KD are in their prime? Are any of them better than Jokic? I hardly see how Magic losing to Jordan in practice is an indication that he was cooked.

He was cooked as a MVP player. Chris Mullin played more minutes per game than Magic for the Dream Team. LeBron, Curry, and KD are as good or better right now than that version of Chris Mullin and Magic received less minutes than he did.

Didn’t the Dream team win by an average of 40-50 points? Going by minutes per game in blowouts where the starters rest is a strange standard, especially when Mullin played 3 more minutes per game.

Are you really going to bring up their competition? The Dream Team didn't play against a single NBA MVP or #1 overall draft pick.

[NZB2323]

He was cooked as a MVP player. Chris Mullin played more minutes per game than Magic for the Dream Team. LeBron, Curry, and KD are as good or better right now than that version of Chris Mullin and Magic received less minutes than he did.

Didn’t the Dream team win by an average of 40-50 points? Going by minutes per game in blowouts where the starters rest is a strange standard, especially when Mullin played 3 more minutes per game.

Are you really going to bring up their competition? The Dream Team didn't play against a single NBA MVP or #1 overall draft pick.

The game has grown a lot internationally because of the dream team. What I’m saying is you can’t judge individual players on how good they are based off of minutes played in blowouts because in blowouts the starters rest. In the Gold Medal game Magic played 12 more minutes than Mullin. In fact, Magic led the team in minutes played in the gold medal game. He wasn’t cooked.

[SelfishPlayer]

Didn’t the Dream team win by an average of 40-50 points? Going by minutes per game in blowouts where the starters rest is a strange standard, especially when Mullin played 3 more minutes per game.

Are you really going to bring up their competition? The Dream Team didn't play against a single NBA MVP or #1 overall draft pick.

The game has grown a lot internationally because of the dream team. What I’m saying is you can’t judge individual players on how good they are based off of minutes played in blowouts because in blowouts the starters rest. In the Gold Medal game Magic played 12 more minutes than Mullin. In fact, Magic led the team in minutes played in the gold medal game. He wasn’t cooked.

You aren't making sense. You say that in blowouts the starters sit but the gold medal game was a blowout and Magic played the most minutes. Magic sat out an entire year and was cooked as an MVP level player. He sat out an entire season he should never be considered to be on the same level of player as Curry, LeBron, and KD that never left the game.

[infinite11285]

Jordan also played incredibly poorly on offense.

Didn't he average like 4.6 steals a game? I'm pretty sure he made it up with his defense.

4.6 steals a game against a bunch of roofers that dribbled with two hands isn't impressive.

[SweaterBae]

Jordan also played incredibly poorly on offense.

Didn't he average like 4.6 steals a game? I'm pretty sure he made it up with his defense.

4.6 steals a game against a bunch of roofers that dribbled with two hands isn't impressive.

green font?

[infinite11285]

Didn't he average like 4.6 steals a game? I'm pretty sure he made it up with his defense.

4.6 steals a game against a bunch of roofers that dribbled with two hands isn't impressive.

green font?

As awesome as the ‘92 Dream Team was, I don't think some of you understand how bad some teams they faced were. Many players had civilian jobs back in their native country. An undrafted Toni Kukoc was considered the world’s best player outside of the NBA.

[GYK]

I don’t put much into the level of competition. Which probably isn’t fair because they certainly play better international competition now but I just look at that team more guys are closer to the height of their powers than any other USA roster.
I don’t think USA team is better than 08 or 12 because their main pieces are clearly worse now than they were back then. Even for Steph he would’ve destroyed the international stage in 16 or 20. It’s more narrative based around this arc ending storyline than who they currently are as players.
92 is littered with All NBA All Defense guys and the current MVP.
9 All NBA Players(all of the 1st team and four of the 2nd team).
7 of the the top 9 in MVP votes(lowest is Pippen at 9 and the rest 1-6).
5 All Defense players(three 1st team and two 2nd team).
8 top 10 scorers
4 top 10 rebounders
2 top 20 leaders in assist
with the MVP and DPOY on the team.
and Magic was a year removed from being Magic.

I get the narratives and even the progression talk of 3pt shooting but no roster comes close to everyone being at the height of their powers and currently being the best of the league.

[dantas]

The Dream Team of '92 faced great players such as Arvydas Sabonis. He was Jokic before Jokic. A 7'3", who could pass like a point guard, shoot, grab rebounds.

Watch on YouTube

0:55 Jokic

Yes, international teams today have more depth, more options, but there were also great players outside the USA in 1992. We have to accept that the Dream Team of '92 was the best team ever assembled.

[BliscoSantos]

Didn't the Players before the Olympics talk about wanting to destroy the opponents,winning by 30 or 40? I think I read that somewhere

USA has the biggest talent pool and the most Players to choose from... they'll always be the favorites...but with that Said their arogance/ego could eventualy lead to another upset...Serbia was very close this year and I do believe that if Nikola didn't get that 4th foul with 6 and a half minutes to go they could have pulled out a win...he was playing very cautious on Both ends after that,trying to not foul out...and we've seen by Durant's statements(btw I was a huge KD fan) that it does bother them that the Best player in the world is not american

[Johnny Bball]

What is with the near constant need to minimize the previous success of other people long since retired. Some people really need to start taking stock of what they are and how useless this is.

[Jcool0]

Are you really going to bring up their competition? The Dream Team didn't play against a single NBA MVP or #1 overall draft pick.

The game has grown a lot internationally because of the dream team. What I’m saying is you can’t judge individual players on how good they are based off of minutes played in blowouts because in blowouts the starters rest. In the Gold Medal game Magic played 12 more minutes than Mullin. In fact, Magic led the team in minutes played in the gold medal game. He wasn’t cooked.

You aren't making sense. You say that in blowouts the starters sit but the gold medal game was a blowout and Magic played the most minutes. Magic sat out an entire year and was cooked as an MVP level player. He sat out an entire season he should never be considered to be on the same level of player as Curry, LeBron, and KD that never left the game.

Why are you making weird arguments? It was the Gold Medal game of course players were going to want to be out there more. That has nothing to do with sitting up 40 points in a semi final game.

[Jcool0]

The Dream Team lost to a bunch of college kids. Serbia and France would both beat them.

Context:

It’s rumored that Daly ran up to the press box and told the scorekeeper to erase the score before the press walked into the gym. Krzyzewski eventually admitted that Daly actually threw the game because he wanted the professionals to lose. Why? Daly’s philosophy was that any team–no matter how talented–could lose on any given day. He wanted to prove that point.

When the teams got together the next day for a rematch–with Jordan playing the entire game (Daly had reduced Joran’s playing time the day before)–the Olympic team blew away the college all-stars.

We’ll never know if Daly’s tactic was the reason “The Dream Team” went on to perform brilliantly that year. But what we do know is that Jordan and Company coasted to Olympic Gold.

https://www.thesportscol.com/2017/10/dream-team-vs-college-stars/

Karl Malone said that the Dream Team wanted a rematch on the same day, but Chuck Daly did not allow it. During their second scrimmage, however, the Dream Team showed why they were known as such by being absolutely dominating.

“The next day, we couldn’t get the ball over half court,” Grant Hill recalled, while Chris Webber had an even worse memory of that second encounter.

“We didn’t score a point. Not one point. Not a point on a free throw, not a point in the game. We were the perfect wake-up call for them, and they were the perfect reality check for us,” C-Webb said.

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/charles-barkley-recalls-dream-team-scrimmage-vs-college-all-stars

[jkvonny]

TBF, different times, different era. '92 USA Dream team steamrolled everyone.
That was decades ago.

Talent has spread around globally ever since. Tuffer competition. Next Olympics in 2028 could be interesting, esp after LeBron, Curry, AD retires.
Lot of young good talent overseas and Canada as well.
I don't think we'll see the same US dominance from years past as we used to.

[Jersey Generals]

Oh joy, my favorite pastime: where we tear down the past to prop up the present.