The original Dream Team of 1992 (that was the USA's Olympic basketball team of that year, if you've just joined us), changed the world. It was the first year that professional athletes were allowed to compete in The Games - previously, squads were comprised of amateurs, and college ballers who were en route to pro leagues. They were great, sure, but this new rule meant that the team formed would be one for the ages.
When assembling a squad, the USA didn't play around. Key names included Jordan, Magic and Bird. The fact that Barkley, Stockton, Ewing and Robinson (I could go on... and on) were also part of this ridiculous roster tells you everything you need to know. It was video game, fantasy league type of stuff - their international impact is undoubtedly responsible for inspiring the European domination that we see in the NBA today.
This was the true Dream Team, and although there have been solid American teams formed since (notably 1996, for example) this was the only team (in my opinion) who deserved such a prestigious title - but how does the 2024 squad compare?
It was well documented that there was a rallying cry for the USA to bring out their best players for the 2024 Olympics, following their loss to Germany in last year's FIBA World Championships. This is exactly what has happened. Let's be real, we arguably don't have the big-name players in their absolute prime - but we didn't in '92, either. Magic Johnson had practically retired and Larry Bird was on his last legs (respectfully). We also have some questionable late additions, like Derrick White replacing Kawhi Leonard two weeks ago - but Christian Laettner being selected over Shaq in '92 will always be a point of discussion.
The point is, neither the '92 or '24 Team USA squads are perfect, but both represent the assembling of NBA greats, whether in their prime or not. The basketball world is significantly more developed than it was in 1992, nonetheless, I wouldn't like anyone's chances going up against LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant during this year's Olympic basketball tournament. It is, of course, yet to happen - but depending on how this summer plays out, we may well be pointing to the 2024 Dream Team as the greatest basketball team ever assembled.
Or second best. At the very least.
