Friday, July 27th, 2012 at 12:55 pm  |  81 responses

LeBron James Also Said 2012 Team USA Could Beat 92 Dream Team


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Kobe Bryant was literally laughed out of the room for daring to suggest that the current U.S. National Men’s basketball team could defeat the fabled Dream Team — even beating them once was made to seem like a completely ludicrous idea.

Fans, media and fellow players seemed to agree for the most part that the 1992 squad couldn’t possibly lose to the current team (or any other, for that matter.)

LeBron James, much like his Olympic teammate Kobe, isn’t so sure about that.

From the AP:

Days before the current U.S. squad takes the court in London, James made his boast in a recent television interview. “The ’92 Dream Team paved the way for all of us… We understand what they did for our game, but we also are big-time competitors as well, so if we got the opportunity to play them in a game we feel like we would win too.”

“As a competitor you never want to say that you will lose no matter who you are going against,” James told ABC News “Nightline” anchor Cynthia McFadden. James also showed his respect to the iconic 1992 team, which was led by Michael Jordan and included 11 future Hall of Famers. That team won its six Olympic games by an average of more than 43 points en route to capturing the gold medal.

Everyone may disagree with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on this, but that doesn’t matter. They believe they could beat the Dream Team, and that’s fine. It changes nor settles nothing, though it sure does seem to enrage certain nostalgic fans.

We’ll obviously never get to the bottom of this debate — unless scientists hurry up and build that damn time machine already!

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  • Aizen

    SMH, first Kobe, now LeBron? Team USA has almost no size, the Dream Team would destroy them in the paint, maybe everywhere else on the court, too.

    I understand the “pride” of being a competitor makes you say things like this, but humility is also important so a competitor doesn’t sound like a jackass.

  • Drig

    One thing I’ve learnt over the years : Nostalgia never makes anything worse. ESPECIALLY in sports and TV shows….. :|

  • http://www.slamonline.com nbk Troll

    THE KING HAS SPOKEN!

  • LA Huey

    Has anyone ever said “Yeah, we’d probably lose to them?” Jordan probably believes the ’96 Bulls could beat 2012 USA Team. And “could beat” is different from “better than”.

  • http://nba.com GP23

    Not this again…

  • d

    Does anyone think they could beat the 1996 dream team?

    Penny, Shaq, Hakeem, Barkley, Malone, Grant Hill, Pippen, Stockton, Robinson, Miller, Richmond, Payton?

    I’d say they’d struggle with that.

  • http://www.soundcloud.com/tray-5 T-Ray

    Once just once would I love to see someone answer “Nah no way we could beat them” just so the same people b*tching about stuff like this could come here and complain that they aren’t competitive enough.

  • fruizm

    Thats the mindset you need to have. In my mind, I can beat anybody up…although obviously I cant, but in my mind..I can, and thats all I need!

  • Marc

    exactly what competitor would say they would beat us and we have no chance. a loser would say that. And people would jump on that. I think in a series they probably would win at least one game. And I aint even mad at bron or anybody on the 2012 team saying they would beat the 92 dream team.

  • baller23

    Leborn & Kobe need to stfu!

  • blackthought

    anyone thinkin`bout beatin`the 92 team is a moron!

  • Scooter

    Why is this a discussion? They are just talking…Lebron MAY get his, Kobe and Durant def can score. Westbrook at point? Are u serious? Tyson vs Robinson? Are u serious? Magic, Barkley, malone, Bird and Jordan. In a best of 7, 92 would win 4 to 1 and if 1. Once malone delivers a forearm to Durant and James, they are NOT coming inside the paint. Remember Jame’s still hasnt fixed his fear of heights (Big Centers). Dallas had Tyson and OKC had a Forward acting like a 5. James and Kobe are Hall bound, Durant shld be a lock. 92 had about a dozen HOF. The deciding factor again will be defense and 2012 plays NONE.

  • Percy Jackson

    Why are so many of you butt hurt over this If you’ve ever done anything competively you’d understand where these guys are coming from . Success at anything takes confidence!

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    I like the spirit young man.

  • jayrose

    I like the confidence but its still a no champ.

  • http://www.fullc0urtpress.com KHoliday

    Glad to see these guys are focused on the 2012 Olympics!

  • Drig

    Bird was almost broken and so was Stockton. I just wish guys wouldn’t include Bird…..esp. when talking about ’92 vs ’12

  • Jerome

    Yeah … and Pau is a beast … right.

  • bike

    Think Larry Bird said it best when he was asked ‘Yeah,they could probably take us…but we ARE 20 years older now’.

  • http://slamonline.com Nella

    “Literally laughed out of the room” means Jordan would have had to laugh at Kobe face to face, prompting Kobe to exit said room in embarrassment. I’m guessing that did not happen. Not saying it’s impossible, but I’m 99% sure that wasn’t the case.

  • allen3

    yeahh only the 96 could beat the dream team just because penny and gill could give jordan and pip the business and the most important factor would be o’neal and olajuwon I don’t think they will ever be such combinaison of brute force and finesse if these 2 play the 5 and the 4 together
    at 4 its a draw becoz of barkley and malone being in the 2 team.
    2012 definitely lack size in the middle and beside I don’t see any defensive anchor like shaq or robinson in the middle.

    what about a 92 college team including mourning oneal webber penny hill they would have won the gold very easily too

  • MUBWAR

    looool at KHoliday. they can’t focus in London. they know gold is coming there way. for team usa, blabbering about shoulda coulda woulda against the dream team is far more interesting then focus on the world.

  • http://none Charles Christian

    LOOK,I KNOW YOU WON A CHAMPIONSHIP LEBRON,BUT UNTIL YOU WIN 4CHAMPIONSHIPS ATLEAST,THEN ATLEAST TRY TO COMPARE 2012/1992,WE’RE TALKING THE BEST EVER POINTGUARD,2GUARD,AND THE BEST TO EVER PLAY YOUR POSITION(LarryBird)with ScottiePippen&ChrisMullin BACKING HIM UP,PLEASE LEBRON,GOT OFF THE CELEBRATION BAND WAGON FOR A SMALL MOMENT,”YEAH”,YOU CAN BEAT THEM NOW THAT THEY ARE ALL GRANDFATHER’S,THAT’LL BE THE ONLY REASON YOU’D GUYS WOULD BEAT THEM

  • Feez_22

    Why is it so far-fetch’d that 2 members of the 2012 team think they could beat the 1992 team in 1 game? Obviously, the 1992 team was eons better than the 2012 team. No questions about that. HOWEVER, the 1992 team was eons better talent wise compared to the select team at that time and they lost. just 1 game. i’ve seen underdogs win in a 1 game format before. Now if it were a 7 game series, obv the 92 team would win. Hell… i’d give the 92 team an 85% chance of beating this 2012 team in a 1 game format. but damn… even though 15% is low for this current team to win, its still a chance and stil means they “could” beat the 92 team in a 1 game format. its possible. heck… let me add more speculation… in 92, tea USA lost to the select team because the coach stopped playing MJ. if the setting is pre-olympics i think the 2012 team could beat the 1992 team. However, if its a gold medal game, 85% chance 92 dream team wins. anything can happen in a 1 gm format as i said b4… we’ve seen crazier things happen. seattle beating new orleans in the NFL playoffs a couple yrs ago, arizona getting to the superbowl in 08, lehigh a couple yrs ago in the tourney beating #1 kansas… in a 1 gm format, anything can happen. so ya… i’d agree with kobe and lebron due to this explanation i have provided.

  • BRAVO

    Anything LeBron Or Kobe says is ALWAYS true. BELIEVE

  • MtotheS

    The rest of the world has caught up in a competition aspect so it isn’t possible to judge this. If I’m 2k sports I simulate this game now!

  • James Aka…

    So if spain or argentina upsets them in the olympics this year, does that mean Manu>Magic?

  • Lloyd

    This title is misleading. Lebron basically said, “we may not be able to win, but as a self-respecting competitor my mentality is that we can beat any team we play.”

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    I’d love to see both teams play “small ball”. Durant, Melo, Bron, Kobe, Westbrook versus Magic, MJ, Pip, Drexler, and Mullin (Wade or Bird are not included because of their respective injuries). WHO TAKES IT?!

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    ^Why Westbrook? I would rather have D-Will or CP3 personally…
    It’s a tie. To answer your question lol.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Redd

    Kobe nor LeBron will ever touch Mj as hard as they try.

  • http://slamonline BossTerry

    Kids these days.. *smmfh*

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    Lakeshow, I said Westbrook because I don’t think cp3 nor Dwill could guard any of the players I mentioned from the ’92 squad. I know what you mean, though LOL.

  • http://slamonline BossTerry

    A better statement might be- “2012 team could beat 92′s bench”.
    (Robinson,Malone,Mullin,Drexler,Stockton) But even that, i’m not too sure about..

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    I don’t have Westbrook any higher on the defensive food chain than CP and D-Will. He is more athletic and stronger, but CP3 is just as good if not better at stealing the ball man on man and in the lanes. D-Will is virtually as strong. I feel CP and D-Will are the more consistent shooters.
    I feel you to though. Westbrook is beast. No wrong answer here lol. CP and D-Will are just so much better at playing the PG position. Not necessarily at playing basketball though.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgvwfvTcNl0 danpowers

    just read a redicules article in the german “five” magazine. they simulated that game via position matchups, gave 92 the edge at sg and c, 2012 at pg and sf and called pf even. then they gave the 12 team the edge due to their athleticism and defensive flaws of stockton, johnson, mullins, bird and barkley. i think i wont buy that crap anymore, its 92 all the way

  • http://www.slamononline.com Redd

    Derrick Rose would give 12 a big edge he’s better than Jordan.

  • Kadavour

    lol Redd

  • K Dub

    If the 2012 team had their FULL roster including Dwight D Wade D Rose and C. Bosh I would give them a VERY good chance to beat them!! Remember this USA team is missing alot of key players

  • Yann Blavec

    @ danpowers : fünf ist schlecht.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgvwfvTcNl0 danpowers

    they simulated this matchup with dwight and bosh on the roster. but still, thats no challenge. the 2012 had the overall athletic edge but basketball iq, killer instinct and teamplay are way way way more important. in all these aspects 92 had the edge

  • Ryan S.

    I don’t get why people laugh it off when the 2012 US team say they could beat the Dream Team. Yea the Dream team was a ridiculously stacked line up, but the international teams they played were trash. The 2012 team have more athletes, and besides the center position the 2012 team matches up well with the Dream team. Your telling me a squad with KB, KD,Lebron,CP3 and Carmelo would not have a chance in hell to win….SMH

  • http://www.slamonline.com Redd

    Lol, no but seriously this is ridiculous they need to let the this go and quit discussing this.

  • Real Talk

    I understand the concept of being the first to do something but matchup wise its two huge advantages 92 has the size 12 has more overall speed…another factor is that Team USA aren’t playing against groupies!!

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Who cares, we will never know and everyone act like MJ could never do anything wrong on the court, so MJ teams win every game he plays and he had 13 rings.

  • JB

    Seriously, these prima donna’s suck compared to the dream team. They could NEVER beat the dream team. NEVER!!! I am just hoping they win gold this year…there is no guarantee.

  • http://www.yahoo.com berkamore

    The ’12 team is having problems with the Gasol brothers and the likes of Luis Scola. Now, I ask, who is going to guard Barkley, Malone, Ewing and Robinson? Chandler is ok but…LOL, you get the picture.

  • flight

    Agreed the 96 team would handle the 92 squad. 5 players played for each team so cancel each other out, Prime Penny and Ghill would match up with Jordan and drexler,Dream and Shaq would muder Ewing and Lattener, Magic and Bird were old and Miller and Payton would ice the cake for DT3.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Redd

    Yea should compare 92-96…but 96 would win lol.

  • http://Roosterteeth.com Caboose

    Size. Period. 2012 wins 2 games out of 10, maybe.

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