Other Sports The Olympics - Page 32

bogie · 02-10-2006, 03:45 PM

Do you find the Olympics to be a big waste of time? Personally, I'm looking forward the the ski jumping.

**BigMeatballDave** · 08-02-2012, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

India is weird. Maybe they don't care.

They're busy with customer support.

Oh, and worshiping the cow.

vailpass · 08-02-2012, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O.city

People have this view of the dream team because they had Jordan, pippen, ewing, etc.

It was a great great team. However, if this years team had a healthy Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh, I think they beat the dream team, fairly easily.

Dream Team vs. Kobe Bryant and 2012 team? It’s ugly
by Doug Haller on Jul. 31, 2012, under Arizona Republic News

As you may have heard, Kobe Bryant feels pretty good about the USA team that is competing for gold in the London Olympics. So much so, the Lakers star took aim at what many consider the best basketball team ever assembled: The 1992 Dream Team. Yes, the one that won gold in Barcelona.

“Well, just from a basketball standpoint, they obviously have a lot more size than we do,” Bryant said, noting original Dream Teamers David Robinson,Patrick Ewing and Karl Malone. “But they were also — some of those wing players — were also a lot older, at kind of the end of their careers. We have just a bunch of young racehorses, guys eager to compete. It’d be a tough one, but I think we’d pull it out.”

First, it might be wise for someone to point out to Bryant that he is 33, four years older than Michael Jordan was when he dribbled — and soared — in Spain. Second, someone probably should pull aside Bryant and tell him: “Hey, Slick, let’s win in London before taking on the best basketball team of all time.”

Still, it’s an interesting debate.

As you can imagine, the original Dream Teamers think pretty highly of themselves. They don’t rank as high as the 1972 Miami Dolphins on the obnoxious meter, but they’re close. When he first heard of Bryant’s comments, Jordan told reporters he “absolutely laughed.”

Magic Johnson tweeted: “The 1992 Dream Team had 11 HOFs, 23 champ rings and the greatest player of all time in Jordan. No chance this year’s team would take us.”

Said Charles Barkley in a radio interview: “Other than Kobe, LeBron (James) and Kevin Durant, I don’t think anybody else on that team makes our team.”

The unfortunate part is, we’ll never know the truth. Still, through Whatifsports.com, it’s possible to get an idea of how the two teams matchup. Whatifsports.com gives fans a chance to settle these kinds of things. You can pit teams of different eras against each other and see how they fare, complete with box score.

For this purpose, The Heat Index matched up the 2012 team against the original Dream Team in a best-of-seven series. The simulated result:

A Dream Team sweep.

Yes, it was ugly. Check out the results:

Game 1: Magic leads seven Dream Teamers in double figures with 19 points in a 124-97 win. Clyde Drexler (everyone always forgets about him) added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. LeBron topped the 2012 team with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Game 2: Jordan scored 22 points and Ewing added 14 points and 13 rebounds in a 115-106 win. This one was close. With 6:14 to go in the fourth, James Harden converted a 3-point play to give the 2012 team a 98-94 lead. Alas, Jordan scored nine points in the final two minutes to help the Dream Team pull away. Carmelo Anthony led the 2012 team with 16 points.

Game 3: Barkley scored 15 points off the bench to lead the Dream Team to a balanced 105-88 win. Magic and Chris Mullin each added 14 points. Robinson contributed 12 points and five blocked shots. LeBron led the 2012 squad with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Game 4: Magic had 21 points and seven assists as the Dream Team finished off the 2012 stars with a 115-103 win. Robinson and Ewing each added 17 points. Tyson Chandler topped the 2012 team with 17 points and 15 rebounds.

So as you can see, the original Dream Team won with depth. It had a different leading scorer (Magic, Jordan and Barkley) in three of the four games. Meanwhile, the 2012 team never shot better than 48 percent.

It’s not definitive proof, but it might be enough for Bryant to concentrate on what’s in front of him instead of targeting something out of reach.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/arizona-new...team-its-ugly/

**BigMeatballDave** · 08-02-2012, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O.city

People have this view of the dream team because they had Jordan, pippen, ewing, etc.

It was a great great team. However, if this years team had a healthy Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh, I think they beat the dream team, fairly easily.

I wouldn't bet against any team that had Jordan.

**Saulbadguy** · 08-02-2012, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O.city

People have this view of the dream team because they had Jordan, pippen, ewing, etc.

It was a great great team. However, if this years team had a healthy Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh, I think they beat the dream team, fairly easily.

They beat them without those two. I love Charles Barkley more than any NBA player in history, but come on. Chris Mullin, Christian Laettner? Clyde Drexler? LOL

O.city · 08-02-2012, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

I wouldn't bet against any team that had Jordan.

Jordan was great, obviously. Best player in history.

That said, when he locks in, I'm not sure Lebron isn't the best overall defender to play. He's so big and strong and quick enough to guard damn near anyposition.

vailpass · 08-02-2012, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

I wouldn't bet against any team that had Jordan.

Provided they played by '92 rules with '92 refs the 92 big men would knock the current players around like they've never seen before. Play was so much more physical. 2012 players would get handled.

O.city · 08-02-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

I wouldn't bet against any team that had Jordan.

I just don't think they could guard Ewing or the other bigs.

**Saulbadguy** · 08-02-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

I wouldn't bet against any team that had Jordan.

Jordan is the best of all time. The problem is there isn't anyone else on that team that would start on this years team.

**Saulbadguy** · 08-02-2012, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O.city

I just don't think they could guard Ewing or the other bigs.

LOL

Hammock Parties · 08-02-2012, 05:54 PM

**Saulbadguy** · 08-02-2012, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vailpass

Provided they played by '92 rules with '92 refs the 92 big men would knock the current players around like they've never seen before. Play was so much more physical. 2012 players would get handled.

92 competition was an absolute joke. The international play has gotten much, much better.

allen_kcCard · 08-02-2012, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alnorth

Hardly.

The thought that its perfectly fair to compare countries straight-up is stupid. Handicap China if it makes you feel better. (Actually, to hell with China, I'm not impressed with their insane state-sanctioned hunt for elementary school athletes to pluck away from families, end their education, and force them to train in prison-like conditions.)

The EU has beaten us in at least every olympics since 2000. I didn't check 1996 or prior, though. I'm fine with that, because this is of course an individual competition, but those who want to beat their chest bragging about beating the world look kinda silly to me.

Fine then, we should be able to send as many as those combined countries as well to compete, so instead of the top X of an event, we send 5X or however many they are sending. You talk about populations of them, but they are also sending a ton more participants. If we had our swim team, plus 4 more of them you don't think that would push a lot of the meddles that the EU are getting spread out across all the people they have with a shot at them?

I get your point of the pool of possible selections being larger for us vs them alone, but there is also a lot to be said about sending as many people as they send compared to us if you put all of them together.

vailpass · 08-02-2012, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

92 competition was an absolute joke. The international play has gotten much, much better.

I hear you; don't know what I was thinking. Bird, Magic, Ewing, Barkley none of those guys could play for the 2012 team.

**Saulbadguy** · 08-02-2012, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vailpass

I hear you; don't know what I was thinking. Bird, Magic, Ewing, Barkley none of those guys could play for the 2012 team.

Bench players.

ghak99 · 08-02-2012, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning

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