OK, so let me guess this straight. I make a comparison between two basketball teams and to you I'm way off the mark. Yet you want to compare this team to other U.S. olympic teams of the past?? Why? Are you stuck in 1992? Did basketball lose it's luster after that for you? Must you always compare the new version to the one that came before it? Dude, you just punked yourself. Whoever thought the US is not better in the 8 years is an idiot. How much better are they? Apparently not that much!!! self ownage at its finest.
Stop the bickering! It was a great competitive game to watch. I hope London will be exciting like this too. Enjoying competitive games is much more fun than being upset about things not being a blowout or whining about the other side. FIBA is only going to look more and more like the NBA in terms of rules, and that might adapt into style too. I hope that the more similar the games get, the more it helps the movement of players from Europe to the NBA and vice versa.
Have you not seen the documentaries on the original Dream Team?? The other players were scared stiff on the floor against them. By the time they adjusted and saw that the US players put their warmups on one leg at a time like them, it was already over. And heck a starting lineup of Jordan, Magic, Bird, Malone, and Ewing with Isaiah Thomas coming off the bench would mop the floor against Lebron, Kobe, Kidd, Melo, and Dwight Howard with DWade coming off the bench. The US only had 5 more players on an NBA Roster than Spain, and 2 of those didnt even play. If the US keeps the program going, and each Olympiad you see a core of at least 6 to 8 remain from the previous Olympic Team, everyone else is playing for a right to get beat by double figures for a silver medal.
Isiah Thomas wasn't on the Dream Team. Anyway, I think Kobe, Lebron and DWade could have held their own against the Dream Team. I don't think either Barkley nor Bird nor Pippen could have done much with LeBron, that's for sure. He's too fast, too strong, too big, and too good a passer The big difference between the teams would have been in the post with Ewing, Malone, and Robinson. This team could not handle those guys. Honestly I think this year's team is the best team we've put out since the Dream Team. Here are the numbers between the teams, not so much different when you consider what the Dream Team played against. Dream team in bold. Dream vs. Redeem 1992 2008 W-L 8-0 8-0 PPG 117.3 106.3 Opp PPG 73.5 78.4 Margin of win +43.8 +27.9 FG pct 57.8 55.0 Opp FG pct 36.5 40.3 APG 29.9 18.8
huh? Last I checked the first three are all considered "soft" in the NBA and far from being considered the best in their own positions. They have never been hyped other than in their own country (Yao). As for Nash, if you think the MVPs were hype, you are clueless..
You are an idiot, just because you compare two basketball teams and you are on mark with your "comparisons"? Stop embarrassing yourself. I said US is not that much better now even with the best players. And you compare it with Houston winning without Jordan in the league. Wtf? I didn't compare jack, NBA is the best league in the world by far and by logic the best players are suppose to dominate others. Spain and Argentina has shown that its not the case. So unless too much hyping is a factor here? What gives? Other than the usual lame excuses. Dude, you are an idiot. Once again, learn to read. I said US was the best team even during the 8 years where we didn't win the Olympics and the World Championship, but lets face it, we are not that much better anymore and never will be. This Olympics just proved that. Got it? Now buzz off. I am done with you.
Looking at those numbers together shows how dominant the "Redeem Team" was against much superior competition than in 1992. If the Redeem Team had played defense in the gold medal game, they would have been even closer to 1992. Any future Team USA will have a tough time beating this year's numbers, even with the upcoming FIBA rules changes. LeBron, Wade & co. did us proud and I'll never forget this year.
Go back and read your post again Better than what? If they're not much better, than what is it that they're not much better than?? This team is not the same team from four or six years ago? Team. T E A M. What part of team don't you understand?!! Now just so you understand. The bottom line is Winning. Not dominating. Winning. So if "they're not much better" (your words moron!!) they should have placed 4th this time around using your "logic"
Hmm, could have sworn he wore #10. I had a McDonald's cup with him on it. And Reggie Miller wore it for Dream Team 2 in 1996. I still have that jersey. But yes, the frontcourt is where Dream Team 1 has an advantage over this year's squad. Something I don't understand, is the downplaying of the NBA players when over half the roster of Spain features talent from the NBA(or headed to it). Bottom line, if you can play you will be in the NBA. And playing in the NBA gets the best of the best even better.
Come on dude! everyone knows this story. Isiah was not on Dream Team 1 cause JORDAN DIDN'T WANT HIM THERE. This was common knowledge like the Rockets making the NBA Finals in 86.
I think...... U.S.A. is great! Anyone who want to overcome the U.S.A.is almost impossible when the NBA stars respect the opponent. The other teams has been in progress. The U.S.A 's Defender line is best.They had lot other teams every game to many turnovers. So to speak...The key to win is Defense. Congratulated the United States. Kobe is best!! MVP. forever.
I agree 100%. The difference is that most of the members of the 1992 team had their career story already told. So many of the Redeem team's stories have yet to be written. It will be fun comparing the careers of each team. Heck, even 10 years from now some of the redeem team will still be playing at a high level.
Are you freaking kidding me? Barkely, Pippen, Bird and Jordan wouldve demolished those guys. Magic was also on that team wow, you guys are delirious if you think the redeem team was equal in talent.
Agreed. The redeem team had a tough finals win. The original Dream team would have been too good for them IMO.
Lets see what I posted: Am I the only one who thinks that it is shocking how everyone is so excited about us winning the Gold? Am I wrong that to be disgusted with the way Spain gave this team a run for their money? With the way this US team and everyone is celebrating this gold, I think we are finally admitting that NBA players aren't as good as they are hyped up to be?" where the f are you getting that I compared this team to other teams?? Even if I did, it is to make a valid point and that is there are no more dream teams and that even the team with best NBA players are not that much better than top international teams. It's the fact, don't like it? go cry to mommy. omg, your reading comprehension is third grade level. The US/Best NBA players are not THAT much better than other best international teams. DUH You are an idiot, again not that much better than other top international teams. So no what I said does not mean 4th moron, it still means 1st. But the margin has shrunk substantially (this is what I friggin mean, get it??) So yes I agree with you that even the best US team can now stop dreaming about dominating in international play as long as we scrape a win, which means you are friggin making my point. Sigh. Now listen one last time, for me, winning a gold with this team should be a foregone conclusion and the fact that everyone is making a big deal out of it (including the players) pisses me off and tells me the sad state/reality the NBA league is in (i.e. talent difference with the rest of the world is rapidly shrinking). Now that's my POV, don't like it? suck it.
