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#Post#: 43--------------------------------------------------
USA Men’s Basketball: the Clash between the Old and New
By: Rrashid Date: August 20, 2012, 9:56 pm
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With numerous world and Olympic records made over a wide range
of sports, American athletes made their mark, and the world was
forced to witness American domination yet again. From Michael
Phelps becoming the most decorated Olympian to Gabby Douglas
winning gold in the All-around, Americans undoubtedly garnered
accomplishments that will be revered for years to come. USA
basketball marks yet another success story in the 30th Olympiad.
Equipped with an assortment of skills and strengths, the team
of NBA sensations, all-stars, champions, and rising stars seemed
to effortlessly ascend to gold.
Every summer Olympics, a team of players with superb talent and
basketball aptitude is chosen to represent the USA in the famous
games. The players are chosen to be compatible, to complement
one another’s strengths, and of course to win gold. The stars
on each team and the goals of the players have been famous for
eliciting praise from American fans, who have characterized
different teams based on different criteria.
One well-known example would be the 1992 USA “Dream Team.” Many
consider it to be one of the best teams ever assembled in the
history of sports, and their average victory margin of 43.8
points appropriately supports that claim. Notable players
included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird, Patrick
Ewing, and John Stockton. Not only were these players NBA
stars, but also innovators and pioneers of their time. And, as
expected, in 2010, the entire team was inducted into the Hall of
Fame. The skills, fame, and memorable performances on the
Olympic stage of this impeccable team justified their nickname,
“The Dream Team.”
The 2008 Beijing Olympics USA Basketball team was hailed “The
Redeem Team,” which roots from their goal of salvaging the
prestige of USA basketball after an 8-year drought of
gold-medals on the international basketball court. The team of
driven stars including Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard,
and Dwayne Wade remained steadfast in their journey to gold.
When the clock started ticking, they performed, and their hard
work spoke for itself. They sprinted through the preliminary
round, dominating teams like China, Greece, Angola, Spain, and
Germany by an average of 32.2 points. Next, they played against
Argentina, the 2004 Olympic gold medal team. Still, the US
maintained an indomitable position in the Olympic bracket, even
for the reigning champs at the time. After defeating Argentina
in a 101-81 victory, “The Redeem Team” advanced to the gold
medal match where they defeated Spain once again with a 118-107
victory, and finally terminated the 8-year drought. In doing
so, they kept the promise they made to the thousands of devoted
fans who carefully followed every bounce of the ball and every
swish of the hoop as the team of talented stars redeemed the
USA’s reputation on the international basketball court.
Following the momentum of the previous Olympic win, this year’s
USA basketball team was able to secure the gold medal. The 2012
team included both old faces and news ones. Notable stars
included Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron
James, and Chris Paul. New faces included Kevin Love, James
Harden, and the 19 year old Anthony Davis. Although there is no
definitive name for the 2012 team yet, some fans have come to
regard this group as the new “Dream Team.” Similar to the 2008
“Redeem Team,” the 2012 team passed through the preliminary
round with ease, defeating France, Tunisia, Nigeria, Lithuania,
and Argentina by an average victory margin of 38.2 points.
Next, they advanced to the quarterfinals where they defeated
Australia by 33 points in a 119-86 victory. In the semifinals
they defeated Argentina in a 109-83 victory. And, finally, in
the gold-medal match they had a 7 point victory over Spain with
a final score of 107-100.
Since another team of elite stars was compiled to play for the
USA, it’s intelligible that many fans and critics would
juxtapose the 2012 team with the original 1992 “Dream Team,” but
some of these critics are contending that the 2012 team
surpasses the original “Dream Team.” This has spurred some
controversy since some obstinate fans, who are unwilling to
compromise the fame and glory of the original dream team, refuse
to adhere to the belief that there even exists another team of
individuals capable of playing better than the original legends.
However, others believe that the 1992 team had its moments on
the pedestal, and that it is now time for them to step down and
welcome the new team of future hall of famers that should be
praised as the best team to step on the court. Strong
supporters of the 1992 team have tempered their criticism by
avowing the prestige of the 2012 team, but affirming that if the
two teams were to hypothetically verse each other, the original
team would win.
Players on both teams have been disputing over which team is the
better as well. Kobe Bryant, with his smug disposition,
grinningly claimed that if they were to compete against the
original 1992 team then "It'd be a tough one, but I think we'd
pull it out." He later went on to bullet-point the specific
strengths they had over the original team, claiming that the
original team was older than his team and that 2012 team was
stacked with “young racehorses” or guys with a straight-out
hunger for competition.
Charles Barkley, a member of the 1992 team and current TNT
analyst, regarded Bryant’s claim as unwarranted and advanced to
shed his own opinion in the dispute by asserting the superiority
of his team and undermining Bryant’s age argument.
In response to Bryant’s age remarks, Barkley noted, “I just
started laughing. How old is Kobe Bryant? He's 34? And he's
calling us old? At the time, we were only like 28, 29. Michael
Jordan and me were the same age. We were both 29.”
He continued his rebuttal by mentioning that, “Other than Kobe,
LeBron (James) and Kevin Durant, I don't think anybody else on
that team makes our team.”
Michael Jordan dove into the debate as well, claiming that there
are simply no grounds for comparison between the two teams and
that the 1992 could easily defeat the 2012 team.
“For him to compare those two teams is not one of the smarter
things he ever could have done,” said Jordan.
Jordan also retorted, "I heard Kobe say we were not athletic,
but we were smart. He said we were too old, but I was 29 and in
the prime of my career. Pip (Scottie Pippen) was 26 or 27,
(Charles) Barkley was 29, Patrick (Ewing) was 29 and Chris
Mullin was 29. Almost everybody was still in their twenties."
Both sides hold cogent arguments. Youth and athleticism versus
experience and aptitude is definitely a topic worth debating.
Nevertheless, most basketball fans would unhesitatingly choose
the 1992 team over the 2012 team. This could perhaps be
credited to our overall proclivity, as sports fans, to revere
the classic legends over their contemporary counterparts.
Although no real assessment can be made as to which team is
better, NBA 2k13, which will be available in early October, will
include both teams in the game play, so players can battle it
out with either team and maybe determine which team is the true
“Dream Team.”
Still, regardless of your opinion, let it go down in history
that the 2012 USA Men’s Olympic team, “Dream Team” or not,
served its purpose and brought us home the Gold medal, and
thereby rightfully deserve the acclaim they have been getting
ever since.
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