Dream on?
A highlight of London 2012 has been seeing some of the world's best players join forces on the USA 'Dream Team'. Deputy news editor and Le Mont Saint basketball coach Joel de Woolfson looks at the debate about who is better, this current USA team or the 1992 originals ...
A highlight of London 2012 has been seeing some of the world's best players join forces on the USA 'Dream Team'. Deputy news editor and Le Mont Saint basketball coach Joel de Woolfson looks at the debate about who is better, this current USA team or the 1992 originals ...
LA LAKERS superstar Kobe Bryant caused a stir in the build-up to the Olympics by claiming the 2012 USA team could beat Michael Jordan's original Dream Team.
Unsurprisingly, Jordan laughed him out of the building. 'For him to compare those two teams is not one of the smarter things he ever could have done,' Jordan said. 'I'd like to think we had 11 Hall of Famers on that team and whenever they get 11 Hall of Famers, you call and ask me who had the better Dream Team.'
Bryant (pictured) later refused to back down when told of his idol's comments. 'If you're asking me: "Can you beat them in one game?", hell yeah, we can beat them in one game,' said the 6ft 6in. shooting guard. Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird also weighed in, jokingly confirming the current team would likely win as: 'I haven't picked up a basketball in years.'
We'll never know, and it's difficult to compare players from different eras but it's an interesting point and has made headlines, particularly in the US ahead of London 2012.
The 1992 team (led by Jordan, Bird, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Chris Mullin and Karl Malone) was a transcendent group, they were trendsetters.
It was the first time a USA team was made up of active NBA players and they crucified the opposition, winning games by an average of 44 points en route to gold. This year's bunch (led by Bryant, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler) have faced stiffer competition, as basketball has taken off globally over the last 20 years (arguably due to the original Dream Team).
Just looking at the two rosters, it's hard to argue the current squad could hold a candle to the originals. They were the perfect blend of size, athleticism, skill, post scoring and shooting. This current squad is uber-athletic and applies intense, smothering, full-court defence. But it has only one true centre (Chandler) and relies solely on long-range jump shots and fastbreak points generated off its great D.
So the edge is clearly with Jordan and co. But for a one-off game? Stranger things have happened.
After all, the '92 team did lose a Barcelona Olympics warm-up match to a group of top college players.
Team USA have been eagerly awaiting the first opponent to really challenge them – and when it finally came they got a fright. After demolishing Nigeria by an Olympic record 83 points on Thursday, the US saw off a spirited Lithuania in its toughest match-up yet. Behind Lebron James' 20 points, the heavy favourites eked out a 99-94 that really was too close to call.
A match like that at this stage of the competition was probably the best thing that could happen to the USA. They've been saying all the right things for weeks, that there's no easy game at this level. But it would be hard for them to actually believe that, while crushing every team (they won their first three games by an average of 52.3pts).
It would be a miracle if the USA didn't win gold, but it would be good for them (and for us spectators) if more teams took it to them as Lithuania did.
It's been a different story for Great Britain.
With low expectations, Team GB has risen to the challenge.
Despite losing their first three games, the Brits came within one basket of beating 2008 silver medal-winners Spain, considered the second-best team in the world.
But nerves got the better of them. GB's lone star, Luol Deng from the Chicago Bulls, turned the ball over with a minute to go and Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon, one of the best free throw shooters in the NBA, closed the game out by scoring eight points from the foul line in the last 44 seconds, as the Brits were forced to keep fouling.
Fans then watched as the team threw away a 15-point lead against Australia. The second-half horror show saw the Aussies prevail by 21, eliminating Team GB. But the Games ended on a massive high for GB after beating China 90-58 last night.
It was their first ever win in the Olympic Games.
