Despite winning in the 2024 Olympics, the most recent iteration of Team USA still has some doubters. It was one of the most talented groups to play basketball in recent memory, but some still prefer the original 1992 Dream Team.
One of those people is two-time NBA champion Mario Chalmers . In a hypothetical matchup, Rio believes that the legendary 1992 Dream Team is still the best iteration of Team USA, picking it even over the most recent squad.
"I like the team. I don't think it's the best team. If you take this team and put them against the Dream Team in their prime, I think the Dream Team smacks them by 20," Chalmers said on The MaXed Out podcast hosted by Vernon Maxwell. "It was good to see Steph, Bron, and KD hold it down. They gave us something that, as basketball fans, were like, this is something special right here. This is our Jordan, Bird, and Magic."
Both teams have star power
The 1992 Dream Team was one of the most significant units in basketball history because, before that, USA's basketball teams at the Olympics consisted of amateur players from high school or college.
Since the USA lost four years prior, the decision was made to have the professional players from the NBA assemble to spearhead the charge. They quickly became the biggest stars in Barcelona at the Olympics, as they dominated the competition. Names like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley led the way, and it was the most dominant display of basketball in history.
Many Team USA iterations have been similarly dominant, like the 2008 Redeem Team at the Beijing Olympics and the 2012 Team USA squad for the London Olympics. However, the primary competition that people throw out as a contender against the Dream Team is the most recent 2024 Paris Olympics crew.
Since they had a talented group spearheaded by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, it would be challenging to bet against them. It was a talented group, but it is still fair to prefer the Dream Team, especially due to their star power.
The hypothetical duel would be fun
A theoretical matchup between the Dream Team and the 2024 squad would be one of the most exciting games ever. They would have intense battles all over the floor because of numerous superstars and legends clashing at all five positions.
In their primes, it is almost impossible to come up with an answer about which squad is better. While Chalmers prefers the Dream Team, there are others like Cheryl Miller who feel the modern edition of NBA superstars would get the best out of the 19992 legends.
Related: "Larry Bird couldn't play no more. Magic was done" - Paul Pierce says 2024 Team USA would dominate the Dream Team
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