What did you think of the 1992 Dream Team?

[Srle]

Its too bad they never played against Yugoslavia. That was shame. IT could have been hellava game.

[Mirza Delibasic]

1992, Final

USA
Charles Barkley
Larry Bird
Clyde Drexler,
Patrick Ewing
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Michael Jordan
Christian Laettner
Karl "The Mailman" Malone
Chris Mullin
Scottie Pippen
David Robinson
John Stockton

Croatia
Drazen Petrovic
Velimir Perasovic
Danko Cvjeticanin
Toni Kukoc
Vladan Alanovic
Franjo Arapovic
Zan Tabak
Stojko Vrankovic
Alan Gregov
Arijan Komazec
Dino Radja
Aramis Naglic

[MakaveliLeDon]

What do i think of the 1992 Dream team ?
Overrated!

Monstars could handle them!
Not to mention that if they played under intergalactic, instead of NBA, rules it would be a massacre!

[penzias]

The only croatian player who could compete phisically with the american was Dino Radja, and maybe Vrankovic if he had any useful neuron.

[Nikoo]

Monstars could handle them!

Yeah, right. They were owned by MJ, Bill Murray and bunch of Loony Toons.

Well, let me remind one thing:

This game was only 20 minutes long.

[stuart]

The teams largest deficit was 6.....against France in the exhibition in Monte Carlo's Stade Louis II arena (8-2). France still led 16-13 with 12:26 to go in the first half. France was led by Georges Adams 15 and Stephane Ostrowski's 14. Jordan scored 21, 17 the first half. Barkley scored 14 of his 21 inthe sencond half. Chris Mullin scored 16, who was often misidentified as John Stockton. Larry Bird scored only 2 in 16 min (he started as well). Barkley led in rebounding with 5 as the Americans outrebounded France 31-14. The largest lead was 111-69 in the final seconds. The Final was 111-71. Magic after the game was asked to go up to the royal box after the game to shake hands with Prince Rainier and son Albert.

Man, I need a copy of this game. Larry Bird, unfortunately, was on his last legs, his back was killing him, and was a few months from retirement. He showed some moments of greatness, but Bird was a shell of himself.. a couple of the games, you could see the other team attacking defensively - which may have even happened if he was 27 and healthy.

Stuart

[Picek]

The teams largest deficit was 6.....against France in the exhibition in Monte Carlo's Stade Louis II arena (8-2). France still led 16-13 with 12:26 to go in the first half. France was led by Georges Adams 15 and Stephane Ostrowski's 14. Jordan scored 21, 17 the first half. Barkley scored 14 of his 21 inthe sencond half. Chris Mullin scored 16, who was often misidentified as John Stockton. Larry Bird scored only 2 in 16 min (he started as well). Barkley led in rebounding with 5 as the Americans outrebounded France 31-14. The largest lead was 111-69 in the final seconds. The Final was 111-71. Magic after the game was asked to go up to the royal box after the game to shake hands with Prince Rainier and son Albert.

In Portland, the largest deficit was to Panama I believe. They were ahead 15-13. They played a packed zone that the US, namely Jordan and Miullin, soht over hitting 4 threes each. They then made a 16-0 run to make it 29-15. Eddy Chavez hit 4 first half 3's for Panama, sparked Panama's early spark, broke the run with a 3. Leroy Jakcson folllowed with a jumper to make it 29-20, but that was as close as it got.

OG 1992.
25-23
Barkley throwing his towel down...
I was ten back then but that picture will never go out of my head..
we lost with big margin at the end, but it was our "golden" medal on the OG..

[Dtown]

Best Basketball team ever assembled period, and the scary thing looking back is they could have been better. Christian Laettner over Isiah *shakes his head*

[obe31]

Its too bad they never played against Yugoslavia. That was shame. IT could have been hellava game.

I will have to agree. Yugoslavia at the time ruled european basketball. All of yugo players back then are now legends.
As for the dream team..what can i say, these guys were the reason i love basketball so much. You could tell they were enjoying playing basketball and they showed so much respect to the opposite teams.
In my opinion that team was the one and only dream team. They should have never named the following USA teams dream team I & II (they stopped after 2000 i think).

[usausa]

Man, I need a copy of this game. Larry Bird, unfortunately, was on his last legs, his back was killing him, and was a few months from retirement. He showed some moments of greatness, but Bird was a shell of himself.. a couple of the games, you could see the other team attacking defensively - which may have even happened if he was 27 and healthy.

Stuart

I dont have the game, I was able to find an article in one of those databases and it was the best one that I found. I loved how vs. Croatia in the final, Croatia goes up, Barkley goes up with a 3 then on the nest possesion goes behind the back on the break then gives to Barkley. Its a shame France didnt make it to the final qualifying. They were 3-2 in the prelims but they were tied with Israel and Italy, but they lost to Israel and lost out on that goal avg thing that i dont understand.

Also, ity is commonly beleived the US was never down (only to Croatia) in the Olympics or in the Tournament of the Americas. To the contrary though, they were always down in the first few minutes, eg. 4-0 deficit to Spain, down a few to Brazil, 25-23 Croatia, and down to Panama in the Tourn. of Americas (of what I can remeber, I need to watch the videos again). I loved how the Lituanians walked around in their tie-dye shirts. The story behind that is a band from the Bay Area (firget the name) heard about Lituanian basketball plight and sponsored them and donated like 3-5,000.

[usausa]

Its too bad they never played against Yugoslavia. That was shame. IT could have been hellava game.

I would like to see Yugoslavia or the old CCCP from 88. Those teams were good.

ahh teh band is is The Grateful Dead

[hotjam_2]

Too many people thought the 1992 team was the greatest ever, but look at their competition; 2nd place Croatia did'nt even exist as a country one year earlier. Yougoslavia was banned from competing(and they proved to be the best team in Europe during the 90's).
The political uphevel took it's toll on eastern europe at that time played havoc among basketball as well. So I think the US dream team should of stuck around and play someone more worthy, like maybe a east euro all-star team or even give the collegiates a try, or even play a game against the NBA champs, before anybody calls this the greatest team in history

[Victorious]

Too many people thought the 1992 team was the greatest ever, but look at their competition; 2nd place Croatia did'nt even exist as a country one year earlier. Yougoslavia was banned from competing(and they proved to be the best team in Europe during the 90's).
The political uphevel took it's toll on eastern europe at that time played havoc among basketball as well. So I think the US dream team should of stuck around and play someone more worthy, like maybe a east euro all-star team or even give the collegiates a try, or even play a game against the NBA champs, before anybody calls this the greatest team in history

The NBA champs included players of the Dream Team.

Besides when you compare teams, you should do it in historical context. Back then there was no one who could compete with them.

[Dtown]

The NBA champs included players of the Dream Team.

Besides when you compare teams, you should do it in historical context. Back then there was no one who could compete with them.

Hmm 92 Bulls vs. Dream Team? Well Jordan and Pippen cancel themselves out, so I'm going with the team with the better bench.

Really it's not just that they were dominant against other teams (they didn't take a single timeout in the tournament for christ sake), it's the staggering amount of talent. Excusing Christian Laettner it's a hall of fame team from top to bottom, from what's considered by many the NBA's greatest era 80s-early 90s.

[Young_Blood]

DRAM TEAM in 92 best team to ever grace a basketball court in the history of the game end of story.

[hotjam_2]

DRAM TEAM in 92 best team to ever grace a basketball court in the history of the game end of story.

Not quite, if they only came together 1 year earlier and played the then unified Youglsavian world and euro champs, it might have been a differened story. I'm not saying they would of lost but they would of come down to earth a bit. maybe only win in the 10-20 point range

the starting lineup of the Yugo team would of been(all in their prime)

F Tony Kucoc
F Dino Radja
C Vlade Divac
G Drazen Petrovic
G Danilovic

remember,
1) a weaker yugo team beat team USA on the way to winning the 2002 world championships.
2) a weaker yugo team kept even with team USA all the way through the 2nd half midway point before sucumbing in the 1996 Olympic finals

[Genjuro]

History denied us the possibility of witnessing one of the greatest clashes of all time. Whenever I think of the Dream Team, I think of a dreamed game against a united Yugoslavia. Those guys were a real dream team in Europe, dominating everybody else at will for the previous three years, and still yet to peak (the core was born in 66-70, with Petro being born in 1964). Probably the US Team would have won (no guarantee, still), but I can see the Yugos giving them a very good run for their money, and now the perception of that US Team would probably be different.

I saw a couple of years ago the final against Croatia, and I didn't feel overwhelmed by the US level of play. Their defense had pretty much the same virtues and flaws that we see today (they executed a great pressure on the ball when they wanted, being able to outrun everybody, but their defensive rotations were mediocre, IMO). With a team mentally prepared to compete, big and athletic, and able to really dominate the ball, it would have been a different story.

[FRANKY 13]

I could not have expressed it better than Genjuro. The 92 Dream Team was arguably the best team ever to walk on a playground, but because some of the best players of all times were in it and not because they crashed everyone around.

I will say it again, playing against completely amazed players, the physical condition of which compares to today's junior teams, was not exactly fair. Still, this team is the one that truly spread basketball around the planet and this is one more reason why it does deserve to be called the best team of all times.

[Young_Blood]

Not quite, if they only came together 1 year earlier and played the then unified Youglsavian world and euro champs, it might have been a differened story. I'm not saying they would of lost but they would of come down to earth a bit. maybe only win in the 10-20 point range

the starting lineup of the Yugo team would of been(all in their prime)

F Tony Kucoc
F Dino Radja
C Vlade Divac
G Drazen Petrovic
G Danilovic

remember,
1) a weaker yugo team beat team USA on the way to winning the 2002 world championships.
2) a weaker yugo team kept even with team USA all the way through the 2nd half midway point before sucumbing in the 1996 Olympic finals

That Yugo team in 91 would have given the dream team a good run for their money no dought, but in the end when the last buzzer goes off the dream team most likly would have won, and won by at least 10+ or just a little under. No disrespect to the Yugo team they had a great line up and great overall game. But in the end if you would line the roster side by side mesure each player 1 v 1 by position the Dream team had more talent, and depth in their roster. I just cant see any team so far comparing anything near what the dream team had in both talen and chemstry. Oh and someone made a post about Barkly barking off wile he play hey when your preatty much destroying oppenants you have the right to some smack talk. It happens in every sport and in just about every game it what makes sports so great the ability to say your better and back it up or get shut up.

[usausa]

Hmm 92 Bulls vs. Dream Team? Well Jordan and Pippen cancel themselves out, so I'm going with the team with the better bench.

Really it's not just that they were dominant against other teams (they didn't take a single timeout in the tournament for christ sake), it's the staggering amount of talent. Excusing Christian Laettner it's a hall of fame team from top to bottom, from what's considered by many the NBA's greatest era 80s-early 90s.

Marv Albert said during one of the gmaes (think Croatia for gold) that the only team he would give a chan e at beating the DT was the Bulls with Pippen and Jordan. Honestly, no and in my opinion, what an idiotic remark.