If the two were to face one another, could the 2012 US Olympic basketball team defeat the 1992 Dream Team? Whether you are the Average Joe or a professional basketball player, past or present, it seems as though everyone has an opinion. For the most part, the consensus believes that this year's Team USA would not only lose, but lose badly. Is the answer that easy?
It would be difficult to count out a team that sports a roster with future Hall of Famers like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. But we're not going to be crazy and agree with Kobe's proclamation because the Dream Team was, in fact, the better group...but not by much. And we're not just making a gut call here either. We took into account a variety of factors before coming to our final decision. So, read on to see how we arrived to the conclusion that this year's Team USA is not better than the 1992 Dream Team.
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The Youth Movement
When comparing the game in the '90s to now, it's undeniable that basketball has dramatically changed. Whether those differences make the game better or worse, we'll leave that up to you. The 2012 squad is capable of shooting lights out, as we saw in their record-setting performance against Nigeria, but their bread and butter is in their athleticism. Plain and simple, there just aren't players built quite like LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Which player on the Dream Team is capable of going toe-to-toe with LeBron? Scottie Pippen? Clyde Drexler? Both guys match up well from a height standpoint, but give up at least 30 pounds, which is pivotal given James' new-found focus on creating off the post. Who would defend Durant? Listed at 6'9", KD is a power forward with guard-like speed. Basically, he's capable of causing a whole lot of match-up problems for anyone that wants to take him one-on-one. And we didn't even talk about the freakishly athletic 19-year-old that is Anthony Davis. With a 7'5'' wingspan, Davis can block shots like the most bonafide center in the league while running the floor like a thoroughbred. His mixture of speed, quickness and agility is the new face of basketball and like nothing the 1992 Olympic team saw during their run.
Nowadays, the game of basketball is predicated on speed and the importance of the first step. This year's team is built around being fleet of foot. Their young legs can control a rapid-fire pace that the 1992 squad just isn't equipped for. If the 2012 team were to control the pace in their favor by forcing the '92 crew to play outside of their comfort zone, they could be victorious in the long run.
Advantage: 2012 Team USA
Level of Competition
When the Dream Team won, they didn't just squeak by—they won convincingly. In fact, their lowest margin of victory was in the championship game against Croatia where they eked out a 32-point win. The team scored 100+ points in every game and never gave up more than 85 points. But these games were against squads that didn't possess the talent that exists today.
Over the last 20 years, international players have gotten dramatically better and become more fundamentally sound. The big guys are superb offensive threats who blend a unique mix of size and scoring potency. There's no greater proof of this fact than the last couple NBA Drafts where GMs have continually sought out the next big talent outside of the United States just as much as the focusing on the individuals playing in college. Two days ago, Team USA faced Argentina, who have four NBA players in Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino, Andres Nocioni, and Manu Ginobili. Could the Dream Team say that? And when this year's Team USA faced something similar (i.e. Nigeria) to what the '92 squad played frequently, they proved how good they can be...except for James Harden. #neverforget
The Starting Five and Beyond
The 2012 men's team could be better. No Dwyane Wade. No Chris Bosh. No Dwight Howard. We could go on and on, but you get the point. Still, we can only compare the squad Jerry Colangelo put together with the Dream Team. Therefore, it is easy to see the lack of depth in the 2012 crew.
Team USA has only one bonafide center in Tyson Chandler. After that, they rely on a true power forward, Kevin Love, and Anthony Davis, a 19-year-old who is about to embark on his first NBA season. The Dream Team were deep in the middle with Patrick Ewing and David Robinson sharing the center duties. The 1992 Olympic team takes this one hands down.
The 2012 team starting forwards are the tandem of Kevin Durant and LeBron James. It really doesn't get much better than that. We already told you how freakishly athletic these two are, so regardless of what Olympic twosome you pit them against them, they're going to win. The proof is in the hardware. Durant has won the scoring title three consecutive years while James is a 3x MVP. Larry Bird was a hell of a player (the white GOAT, son!) but at the time of 1992 Olympics, Bird was being plagued by chronic back injuries and was simply a spot-up shooter. The Dream Team's other starter was Charles Barkley and while the guy could bang in the paint with the best of 'em, Sir Charles would be over-matched by a player as quick as LeBron. The starting forward match-up goes to the 2012 squad. But when you factor in the '92 squad's frontcourt bench, led by Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen, the Dream Team comes out on top (Pippen would eat Carmelo Anthony for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—on both sides of the court).
When it comes to comparing Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, it's not that easy. But before you get all bent outta shape, MJ stans, let us say this: Kobe may be the best player in the Complex decade while Jordan remains arguably the best to ever play the game. Need we say more? Then, at the point guard position, we have Chris Paul versus Magic Johnson. Paul is a phenomenal passer and accomplished scorer but Magic did everything. He had the potential to score at will, compete for boards and oh yeah, he could doll out double-digit assists too. Overall, the Dream Team takes the roster match-up.
Experience and Knowledge of the Game
The 2012 Olympic team has the advantage from an athletic standpoint but there is one aspect of the game that could alter the final outcome: experience. The Dream Team (with the exception of Christian Laettner) is chock-full of Hall of Fame, "Top 50 to Ever play in the NBA" talent. Those accolades weren't given, they were earned.
At the time the '92 Games were played, the Dream Team had 12 rings between them (five for Magic, three for Bird, two each for Jordan and Pippen); they would go on to earn 11 more (four each for Jordan and Pippen, two for David Robinson, and one for Clyde Drexler). Beyond the NBA championships, the '92 team had plenty of big game experience: every member of the team eventually played in an NBA Finals except Chris Mullin and Christian Laettner (and remember that lowly Christian Laettner was coming off of back-to-back NCAA championships in '92).
The '12 team has seven rings so far (five for Kobe, one for LeBron and Tyson Chandler), and while it's easy to envision many more for Kobe, LeBron, Durant, James Harden (provided he resigns with Oklahoma City) and Russell Westbrook, those are the only players on the team with Finals experience. It's hard to see a Finals in the near future for Carmelo or Tyson Chandler (shots!), much less Kevin Love.
The lack of experience shows. The 2012 squad can be a little reckless, make silly mistakes, and cough up sizable leads. They are a young bunch so it goes with the territory. These guys have to take their lumps here and there (see their close game with Lithuania) before they can get better. The Dream Team, on the other hand, was a seasoned group that knew how to handle any situation thrown their way. Experience FTW!
Numbers (and Accolades) Don't Lie
We've talked about the rings and Finals experience, now let's take it to an individual level. In the summer of '92, the Dream Team had nine MVP trophies between them (Bird, MJ, and Magic each had three); they'd go on to collect seven more (three for Jordan, two for Malone, one each for Robinson and Barkley). In '92, the Dream Team had 37 All-NBA first team nods among them (nine for Magic and Bird, six for Jordan, four for Malone and Barkley, two for Robinson, and one each for Drexler, Ewing, and Malone). Right now, the '12 team has 21 first team appearances (10 for Kobe, six for LeBron, three for Durant, and two for Chris Paul).
We may not have access to a crystal ball but it doesn't take a soothsayer to know that not every player on this year's team will become a Hall of Famer (Tyson Chandler's HOF ship has probably sailed, for instance). How many guys on the 1992 Olympic team are currently in the Hall of Fame? Eleven out of twelve. (Sorry, we're not sorry, Christian Laettner). On this year's team there are two players who would go to Springfield if they retired today: Kobe and LeBron (you could make an argument for Carmelo). Of the rest, it's difficult to say, but barring injury, Durant, Westbrook, Love, and Paul would appear to have strong chances.
At the end of the day, the numbers and accolades should speak for themselves. If most of the guys (with a 37-year-old Kobe?) on this group come together for the 2016 Olympics, we may need to take a closer look at the comparison with the 1992 squad. But until then, the Dream Team is still the best Team USA basketball squad ever assembled.
