Since this has been discussed a lot in the media lately, thought it'd be fun to make a thread and discuss who you guys think would win.

http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2...eam-team-boast

^
Link above is the video where Kobe starts it off by saying this year's team could beat the Dream Team and then CP3 and LeBron discuss it a bit as well.

The article is Jordan responding by basically saying uhhh, helll no.

Clearly Dream Team had MJ and Barkley in his prime, a young Pippen, and size with Ewing/Robinson/Malone/Barkley.
However, both Bird and Magic were way past their primes.

Is this 1992 team (more) athletic?

So who wins? What you guys think?

Who has Lebron since he was like 21 in 1992.

Kobe said Magic and LBJ would be on each other and I'm assuming he means both teams would be playing at the same age as when they were in the Olympics, IE the Dream Team would be playing at their age in 92 and this team would be playing at today's age.

I dunno about Magic on LBJ, that is a complete mismatch with Magic being way out his prime. Could put Pippen on LBJ, and then Barkley on Durant?

i like how kobe included himself when he was talking about players in their primes

2012 obv wins easily. i mean all the guys on the 92 team are really old now.

Chuck Daly vs Coach K in The Rancor Pit

in their primes, no way the 1992 team doesn't dominate. that team had so many future hof-ers it's not even funny, and the way they dominated everyone in the olympics that year (average win was something crazy like 40+ points), i just don't see how it's even a contest.

Christian Laettner ftw


talent today > talent in past. Blake Griffin/Harden being on the team kinda negates it though.

If this 2012 team didn't have the injuries, it'd be > 1992 Dream Team

It'd be

CP3
Kobe
Lebron
Durant
Howard

Bench:
Rose
Wade
Love
Melo
Bosh
Tyson
Griffin

or something like that

i like that squad more than 1992

losing howard and rose is kinda big

The closeness of games today compared to 1992 has a lot more to do with those other nations getting better than USA getting worse.

MJ>>>>Kobe
Pippen<<<LBJ
Magic<<CP3
Barkley<Durant
Robinson>>>>Chandler


idk it looks close to me.

Really stupid for Jordan to talk HOF #s when the foreign game was putrid when he played.

Take away Dirk, Manu, Parker etc. and some of these fringe Americans would step into the HOF as well.

2004 team looked like a strong squad as well, we all remember what happened that year. it's all subject to opinion ofc, but i just like the 1992 squad better than 2012. maybe it's not a blowout like i said earlier, i concede that, but i still believe 1992 would pull out the win here.

What if you swap out Laettner for Shaq? Probably the old guys then, right?

On 2012 team, only guy in his prime is prolly LeBron

On the 92 Dream Team:
JORDAN in his prime or very close to it (29 years old; had and about to have his godly 1992 and 1993 seasons)
Barkley in his prime (he single handedly carried the Suns to the Finals)
Robinson in his prime (who would guard him on this 2012 team?)
Malone in his prime or very close
A 26/27-year old Pippen
Ewing in his prime or very close

Although I still think it's close, mainly because either LeBron or Durant would go off on whoever is guarding them.

In the end though, the X-factor for me is Jordan in his prime and how motivated he would be to embarrass Kobe.

why would they need a young and raw shaq with david robinson and ewing in their primes?

Easy there. 19 year old Lebron, no Shaq, no Kobe, no KG. USA didn't send close to its best team that year.

You don't think Pippen could make life hard on both LeBron or Durant whomever he was asked to guard? I think he'd have no problems making KD's life hard.

to be fair, even a 16 year old lebron is a grown man. but i do agree, they had like 9 players from their 2003 squad who didn't show up, and the team was very young, but i doubt there was anyone in america before the olympics that year who thought they would turn out mediocre and not win gold.

i love how kobe thinks hed guard mj (or start) on an optimal '12 'dream team'.

paul/wade/durant/lebron/howard v magic/jordan/pippen/barkley/robinson is actually really really sick. problem is cp3 is a bit of a defensive liability due to size i think theyd have to stick him on old man magic and hope his quickness wud make up for lack of size. wade wud guard pippen, durant wud guard barkley, lebron wud guard jordan and howard robinson. '92 team wud have defensive issues of its own as both barkley/magic wud be huge liabilities. i think jordan wud guard wade, pippen wud guard lebron, robinson wud guard howard which wud leave magic on paul and barkley on durant both of which are nightmare matchups.

barkley vs durant would be really fun

I'm surprised the poll is so close.

Bird asked if current team beats the dream team..

"they probably would. i haven't played basketball in 20 years. were all old now."

Are we assuming Kobe will play? Then it's not close, MJ would totally destroy him and Kobe would refuse to quit and refuse to be subbed out and refuse to pass

POTT.