Dream Team '92 vs 08'

I was fortunate enough in my young career to cover the 1992 Dream Team, who is arguably the greatest team ever assembled in any sport. Only two of the twelve players on that team were NOT one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players. This team also included the great MJ's, Jordan and Johnson. We will probably never see a team like this in our lifetime or even the rest of human existence. There is a current team that resembles a lot like that OG Dream Team, the current Team USA basketball team. This might be the closest we see to the '92 Dream Team we will ever see. At the end of this generation we may even look back to say that this was an even greater team.

Patrick Ewing vs Dwight Howard
Howard is a more athletic big man who has great defense and a killer on the boards. Ewing had a much better offensive game and had a better perimeter shot. Howard is developing into a good offensive player and he is only 22 years old. Another note Howard doesn't go through six towels in one quarter of sweating.

David Robinson vs Tyson Chandler
Chandler is a superior low post defender and rebounder. He can finish near the rim, but has no post moves. Robinson was much more versatile. The admiral could score and play defense. Although he was not as bulky as Chandler is, his athleticism for a man his size made up for it.

Scottie Pippen vs Carmelo Anthony
Pippen was the real life Robin, the ultimate side kick. The best comparison to Pippen would be Shawn Marion, another real life Robin. Since Marion will most likely not be on this team, we will have to compare him to Melo. Melo is a great scorer, he can shoot over you or take you to the hole. Pippen also had a great shot and could finish around the hoop. Pippen's defense was far greater than any defending Anthony could ever do.

Charles Barkley vs Amare Stoudemire
Amare is a great talent, but Barkley was just a beast. Barkley was the leading scorer of that team and no living creature could stop him. Amare may turn into that same player down the road. He is a great finisher and is slowly developing his perimeter game. There is no one in the NBA that can bring what Barkley did, but Amare could fill some of that void. Amare could

Karl Malone vs Carlos Boozer
Malone defined the toughness on the original team. He did the dirty work of scoring down low and grabbing rebounds. Boozer will bring that same intensity and physical presence. Boozer is a big body that will do the physical dirty work. A lot of similarities like working great off the pick and roll and both playing for Utah. In fact Boozer looked up to Malone so much, he married Malone's sister just to get in his family. Sorry, but that last part was made up.

Larry Bird vs Mike Miller
Both require attention because they are threats on the perimeter. An aging Bird is just as good as a prime Miller. They also draw comparisons because they are both white, there I said it. Is there any other reason that needs to be pointed out?

Clyde Drexler vs Dwyane Wade
Both are versatile, get to the rim, and great finishers. Both are creative and can get any shot they want on the floor. They are also good passers and can flow with any offensive scheme. They will glide through the air and dunk on you or just put up an amazing acrobatic layup to finish, either way you can't go wrong.

Chris Mullin vs Michael Redd
Mullin was the shooter of the team. Mullin was another perimeter threat which let the slashers get in the paint. Redd does the exact same thing. Opponents cannot sag off these guys in the perimeter because they are deadly.

John Stockton vs Jason Kidd
The team's leaders on the court. Look to get everyone involved and are creative with and without the ball. They make the game easier for everyone on the team and act as a second coach on the floor. I think Kidd is the better floor general and emotional leader for his group. You can also stick Chris Paul here as well. He is taking the point guard position to a whole new level.

Magic Johnson vs Lebron James
We have all read this comparison before. Huge play makers and have the most creative minds on the court. Each can play any position on the court and are amazing passers, as well as scorers. They find it more important to get people involved first, but when called upon they can take over a game instantly. Lebron may one day be considered the best ever, but for now let's just call him "King."

Michael Jordan vs Kobe Bryant
Kobe is the closest thing we have to MJ since MJ. Kobe's competitiveness, skill, die hard winning attitude has put in the same sentence as his airness himself. They smell blood and will rip your heart out if they get the chance. They are the team's fight and will keep everyone on their toes if they get to comfortable. There will never be another Jordan, but settling for Kobe is not bad either.

Do we have a new dream team? We will have to wait, may be at the end of their careers we might look back and say that this was the greatest team assembled. I did not forget about the coaches and Dream Team MVP Christian Laettner, but like my opinions they don't really matter. This current USA team is much younger and athletic. Many of them are in their primes, as opposed to the '92 team where they were aging and past their primes. The rest of the world has caught up and international play is much more competitive than it used to be. The '92 team won their games by an average of 43.8 points and did not ever use a single timeout. The current team is the best team we have seen so far since that great team. We all know that the Original Dream Team is the only Dream Team, but for the sake of argument, if you put these two teams on the court, who do you think would win? I don't know, but it would be a game for the ages.