Who would win the 1992 Dream Team or the current Olympic team

Now lets think about this for a minute without letting emotions control us. Everyone is saying original dream team without a shadow of a doubt but its not so easy.

First of all, the level of international play is massively improved in the 16 years since the original dream team (a fact spured on by the enormous global popularity of that original dream team in fact) so comparing the point differentials of their games or other statistics is meaningless. Also, lets not get caught romanticizing the bygone golden age of hoops that will never be eqauled again. The fact is that the best NBA players today are equal to the best of that era (they're both the best in the world) so just saying "Jordan is the greatest ever and no one will ever touch him and thats all there is to it" or the equivalent is simplistic and ignorant.

Now, the original Dream Team has two major disadvantages compard to the current team. First, they had two players who were liabilities, Larry Bird (beacuase he was on his farewell tour and debilitated by back injuries) and Christian Laetner (who was a college golden boy that year but went on to be a middling at best pro). 2 out of 12 is pretty significant number to toss out summarily. Also the original dream team was exactly what this team is trying to avoid being; namely a collection of all-stars thrown together with no regard to balance or chemistry. In comparison, the current team is carefully chosen, with not a single player who was not specifically selected for a clear purpose. Thus, 1 Michael Redd on this team is worth 10 Christian Laetners.

Now, don't get me wrong, this team is not for sure to win either. This team is specifically made small and fast to play the zone heavy and short 3 point line having international game, but they are seriously lacking in size and in true centers. The original dream team would murder them down low (imagine David Robinson playing Chris Bosh, jeez). Also, there is no doubt that the total talent level of the original team is equal or better than the total talent of this team, and that can't be discounted. But there is one thing I heard this morning while watching the Lithuania game (which USA won by 36) that is very telling. They mentioned that team USA was experimenting with a super small and fast experimental line-up of Paul and Wade in the backcourt, Kobe at 3, Carmelo at 4, and Lebron at center. Lets say they switch Lebron to 4 and keep Howard at center for the sake of argument, which is a lineup I like better personally, that gives Paul, Wade, Kobe, Lebron and Howard on the floor. That is a lineup which 1-4 is better than any combination dream team one could have put on the floor, period. Extremely small, no doubt, but lethal like nothing before.

My point in all this is just to say that declaring dream team 1 would kill this team is unsupportable when you really look at it. It would be CLOSE. I say Dream Team 1 by a hair just because they were so much more on the inside, but that game is in no way certain either way.

You guys may say that the 92 team would overwhelmingly defeat the current team because they went undefeated and slaughtered their opponents, but you also have to take in the fact that international basketball was not up to par with the NBA back then and there were hardly any international players in the NBA. Since then, international players have upped their game and many have even done very well in the NBA, the USA team is without a doubt still better than the international teams, but those international teams are slowly catching up. I think both teams were very,very good and I think the 92 team would win, but it wont be a crushing defeat as you all say it will be.

Charles Barkley v Melo

Larry Bird v Prince

Clyde Drexler v Kidd

Patrick Ewing v Bosh

Magic Johnson v James

MJ the G.O.A.T. v Kobe

Christian Laettner v Redd

Karl Malone v Boozer

Chris Mullin v Williams

Scootie Pippen v Wade

David Robinson v Howard

John Stockton v Paul

good match up.

This years team is great but the orginal dream team was just so complete. I mean take off Christian Laettner( although he was only there because they wanted 1 college player) and Chris Mullin, everyone else is Hall of Fame bound. I mean 2008 is good but Larry Bird shooting 3's while "your Airness" drives and dunks. Stockton and "the Mailman" doin the pick and roll . "Magic" no look alley oopin to Clyde "the Glide". Scottie doin the dirty work while "Sir Charles" snatches boards and bangs bodies. "The Admiral" and Ewing playin "D" and swatting balls into the backcourt. Plus the nicknames are better. Beside Lebron(ie...bron bron, King James) who even has a cool nickname.Ok maybe CP3 and D-Wade r cool but those are their intials so that doesn't count. The original Dream Team!!!!!!!

The Dream Team, beat the opposing teams by an avg. of 43 points, never scored less than 100 points, no team even came close, to even competing with the Dream Team....The Dream Team is truely the best basketball team ever assembled

Not even close. The original dream team would drill this year's version. While I think we'll cruise to gold in similar fashion, compare them man for man and there's no comparison. The original squad has 11 of the greatest 100 ever, while it's still early-only kobe, lebron and maybe d howard end up on that list. I'll see match those 3 w/ mj, bird and ewing, and still have magic,malone, sir charles, & stockton watching. Like I said-NOT EVEN CLOSE!

Even with John Stockton and Larry Bird injured, and CL was not being that good... they still dominated the other teams...

THE DREAM Team will win... by a lot of points...

easy!!!!! dream team 1 had the best players in the NBA on one team. Never again has the NBA done that again.

1992 dream team without a doubt

Let's see how they dominate their competition. But I still have to go with dream team 1. Nothing like it ever or never will.