2012 Team USA Men's Basketball Team vs USA Team 1992: Answer Inside?

HacheMan · Jul 11, 2012

We've talked about this in the past, and debated back & forth about who the better team is and which would win if matched up against one another.

But I read a post today on Yahoo in reply to the Article in which Kobe proclaimed that his team today would likely win, and the comment by the random user made me think.

He said.........

"Let's say the talent was even. Which team has more heart & would play harder?"

He's obviously referring to the original Dream Team and I think he nailed it...

PatsFan1283 · Jul 11, 2012

Hache Man said:
We've talked about this in the past, and debated back & forth about who the better team is and which would win if matched up against one another.

But I read a post today on Yahoo in reply to the Article in which Kobe proclaimed that his team today would likely win, and the comment by the random user made me think.

He said.........

"Let's say the talent was even. Which team has more heart & would play harder?"

He's obviously referring to the original Dream Team and I think he nailed it...

Its a flawed comparison for a lot of reasons. This team is designed to win the Gold because the international teams are better now, that team was a collection of great players from that era.

HacheMan · Jul 11, 2012

PatsFan1283 said:
Its a flawed comparison for a lot of reasons. This team is designed to win the Gold because the international teams are better now, that team was a collection of great players from that era.

But he still makes a valid point... Eliminate the debate about who's more talented, and just assume they are both equally talented, and what gives the '92 team the advantage is what he mentioned.

I agree 100%... The only player on todays' team I would lump with the '92 team in the category of 'Having more heart" is Kobe Bryant.

PatsFan1283 · Jul 11, 2012

Hache Man said:
But he still makes a valid point... Eliminate the debate about who's more talented, and just assume they are both equally talented, and what gives the '92 team the advantage is what he mentioned.

I agree 100%... The only player on todays' team I would lump with the '92 team in the category of 'Having more heart" is Kobe Bryant.

Yeah cause players today don't have the heart of guys from the 80s and 90s. Blah Blah Blah

Such a useless question that can't be proven 1 way or another.

I mean Clyde Drexler and Chris Mullin just had so much heart, I don't know how you can compare Kevin Durant's "heart" to them.

HacheMan · Jul 11, 2012

Well I don't know how old you are Pats, but I don't see how any NBA fan who's 35+ and who's seen both eras can argue that players in the 80's & 90's clearly didn't play with more hustle, heart, and even more physicality...

PatsFan1283 · Jul 11, 2012

Hache Man said:
Well I don't know how old you are Pats, but I don't see how any NBA fan who's 35+ and who's seen both eras can argue that players in the 80's & 90's clearly didn't play with more hustle, heart, and even more physicality...

So if that was the point you were trying to make, why not just comeout and say it rather than some tired clique question like that?

They actually played with significantly less hustle and intensity on the defensive end. Thats why everyone scored 110+PPG in the 80s but I don't really feel like shattering your whole "Things used to be better" worldview.

I mean to think players in the 90s played harder than they do today is a total crap opinion, no offense.
There is a reason there were so many draft busts from the early 90s drafts, its because they were the first generation to get paid a ton right away and a ton of them didn't care. You should readup on the '94 and '96 Olympic teams and how much complaining those teams did.

DrunkenHorseplayer · Jul 11, 2012

Back in the 80's, all the 60's codgers were saying that "today's players have it too easy, they don't hustle, they don't care, etc." and they were wrong. Now we're the codgers and we're wrong.

PatsFan1283 · Jul 11, 2012

Drunken Horseplayer said:
Back in the 80's, all the 60's codgers were saying that "today's players have it too easy, they don't hustle, they don't care, etc." and they were wrong. Now we're the codgers and we're wrong.

Exactly, cycle repeats itself. Not saying guys in the 80s/90s didn't play hard and there weren't great players from that era but 1 of the most nauseating things sports fans do to me is when they romanticize players/teams from previous eras.

HacheMan · Jul 11, 2012

PatsFan1283 said:
So if that was the point you were trying to make, why not just comeout and say it rather than some tired clique question like that?

Cliche?

LOL... It's an opinion... I could easily say your opinion is a cliche... Or that you're 100% wrong as you always point out to people.

I tell ya what... If you know the NBA so well, how about a friendly $ NBA year-long wager next year... :grandmais

PatsFan1283 · Jul 11, 2012

Hache Man said:
Cliche?

LOL... It's an opinion... I could easily say your opinion is a cliche... Or that you're 100% wrong as you always point out to people.

I tell ya what... If you know the NBA so well, how about a friendly $ NBA year-long wager next year... :grandmais

I don't get what the bet is? lol....

I'm just saying hache, the whole "These 2012 guys didn't play as hard as those 80s/90s guys" is just pretty tired. We get it, everything was better then. I just find sports fans romanticizing previous era's compared to the current one to be nauseating, can you atleast understand that?

Guys didn't even train year round back in the 80s, dudes smoked cigs at halftime. Now everyone is on a diet/nutrition plan, has a personal trainer doing workouts with them everyday (granted easier to do this when can make 50mill off like 1-2 good years)

PatsFan1283 · Jul 11, 2012

Also fwiw, half the NBA was on coke until Bias died.

RoofTop · Jul 11, 2012

Dream team -8.5. -600
2012 team +8.5. +400

boatboatboat · Jul 11, 2012

players are better today than they were 20 years ago.
factoid

DrunkenHorseplayer · Jul 11, 2012

Back in the 80's a 6'10" player who could pass and shoot the three was considered a rarity; today's big men who don't have at least some proficiency at those things almost can't play.

DesertDevil · Jul 11, 2012

boatboatboat said:
players are better today than they were 20 years ago.
factoid

Sounds like an opinionoid to me... puff_>>

I think todays athletes are bigger, faster, stronger.

I think the 80's teams played better team basketball. And they shot the ball much better. Thats an my opinionoid anyway.

Mr_Mark · Jul 11, 2012

Hands down Dream Team is the superior team. No question about that. Make a team out of any professional players all throughout the NBAs history and you cannot beat the Dream Team. But a lot of people forget. Bird, Magic were at the end of their careers. This team was statistically led by Barkley. If those players in 1992 played the guys in 2012. I dont think it would be quiet as an easy victory as most people imagine. Barkley, Malone, Ewing, Robinson would be tough for Chandler, Griffin, Love and the rookie Davis. Even if Howard was playing, they still wouldn't match up well.... and what era of rules would be in effect? Minor changes have been made in the last 20 years

EasyMoney · Jul 12, 2012

Wildcat Coach said:
Sounds like an opinionoid to me... puff_>>

I think todays athletes are bigger, faster, stronger.

I think the 80's teams played better team basketball. And they shot the ball much better. Thats an my opinionoid anyway.

They shot the ball much better huh? and Bird may have been the best shooter on that team right? well the most 3 pointers Bird ever made in a single year was 98. Kevin Durant made 133 last year. The most Jordan ever made in a year was 111. Lebron James has already made 336 more 3 pointers then jordan had in his entire career and lebron has done it while shooting a higher percentage from behind the arc.

EasyMoney · Jul 12, 2012

I have no idea who would win if we had a time machine and they could play but i'll say this. the 1992 team had 9 of 12 guys that were 29 years old or older. this years team has 1 (Kobe) thats it.

I think people think way to highly of the past. Baseball is the worst about that. I'm not saying players back in the day weren't great but realize that some of the guys playing right now are some of the greatest ever. Athletes in general are just better today. They are bigger, stronger, faster and work at their craft the entire year. That doesn't take a single thing away from guys like jordan or magic, im just saying.

DesertDevil · Jul 12, 2012

EasyMoney said:
They shot the ball much better huh? and Bird may have been the best shooter on that team right? well the most 3 pointers Bird ever made in a single year was 98. Kevin Durant made 133 last year. The most Jordan ever made in a year was 111. Lebron James has already made 336 more 3 pointers then jordan had in his entire career and lebron has done it while shooting a higher percentage from behind the arc.

Did I say they shot the 3 point shot much better? Nope. I said it was my opinion they shot the ball better. It seems to me the 3 point line has really killed the mid-range jumper these days. I dont have any stats to back that up, and I think it would be hard to bring any hard evidence to the table. But Id bet overall, teams shot the 15-20 foot jumpers with more efficiency back in the 80's than they do today.

DesertDevil · Jul 12, 2012

And I think many people would agree, that young players 25 years ago, were much more polished coming into the league than they are today.

All of the "1 and dones" today get drafted in the lottery, and are expected to contribute right away. Many young players 25 years ago, already had 3 or 4 years of high level college basketball under their belts.