Tip-Off for 7/12/12 (featuring Mary J. Blige): Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley, and the Dream Team debate
(NBC Olympics)
The ever confident Bryant would welcome this challenge
We knew one day this would happen. At some point, the supremacy of the 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team would be challenged by a player a member of Team U.S.A.
Kobe Bryant’s statement about the 1992 and 2012 teams opened a great platform for debate. No one was more willing to respond than Charles Barkley.
Would Chuck make Kobe read his Nikes?
Kobe Bryant figures that the younger and more energetic 2012 team would ultimately outrun the 1992 squad that showcase some players that had seen better days.
“Well, just from a basketball standpoint, they obviously have a lot more size than we do — you know, with (David) Robinson and (Patrick) Ewing and (Karl) Malone and those guys,” Bryant said on last Wednesday. “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 that are eager to compete.”
“So I don’t know. It’d be a tough one, but I think we’d pull it out.
Do the statements coming from someone like Kobe Bryant and not Tyson Chandler make the scenario less far-fetched?Barkley responded in kind and was not hesitant in stating the ’92 squad would win convincingly.
“Oh yeah, that’s no disrespect,” Barkley said. “I ain’t got to badmouth them. But like I said, their point guards weren’t going to beat us. That’s a no-brainer.”
Barkley felt that the age factor would benefit the ’92 squad who had players still in their prime along with saged veterans.
“I just started laughing,” Barkley said. “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. …
“Other than Kobe, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, I don’t think anybody else on that team makes our team.”
The Lineup:
The Nets have moved on from Dwight Howard and have focused on Brook Lopez as their center (Hoops World).
Houston Rockets are holding out hope in possibly acquiring Dwight Howard (Hoops World).
All eyes will be on State College, PA. this morning (Blog Spot).
Mary Kennedy’s body removed from Kennedy burial area (In Flex We Trust).
Deron Williams proves that a deal can be sealed anywhere (Yahoo).
Chilling 911 call from young man shot and killed by his grandmother (The Oakland Press).
Is Kevin Love done in Minnesota (Yahoo).
President of FAMU resigns amid scandal (Black America Web).
DC mayor drawing heat in corruption scandal (Black America Web).
Mary, Mary, Mary!!!
With the age factor, Kobe might have a point. This year’s squad could probably pull out a few games in a series, but I’m unsure as to much more than that, considering the size, title hardware, and strength. We’re talking Jordan and Barkley in their prime along with Ewing and Robinson size, vet leadership from Bird/Magic, etc…and don’t forget omissions like Isaiah, Shaq, and even Hakeem (among others during that time).
Then again, the age factor could be the curse for this year’s team, since vets tend to know a few more tricks that could outflank or slow down a faster, younger squad. You’d also have to factor in toughness as we’re talking players fresh from the ’80s brawls in comparison to the flops of today. I’m no stat-boy or even a hardcore follower (casual observer), but I think the Dream Team easily wins in a 7-game series.
That must’ve been some good sh!t Kobe was smoking….lol
LOL!
David Robinson was 27.
Patrick Ewing was 29.
The only way this game is close is if those 2 guys sit for the entire game.
And god forbid, the USOC had done the right thing and put Shaq on this team with Zeke.
#chileplease!kobebebuggin!
Anyone remember the lumbering Patrick Ewing and the laboring David Robinson? When they were in their 20′s?
GEEEET-TFOH-WTB!!
And Magic and Jordan are on the SAME TEAM?
I know us old folks (and by “old” I mean those of us who, like the original dream teamers, were in our “primes” during the 90s lol) like to think that the players we grew up watching during the 80s and 90s were soooo much better, but I’m not so sure.
I think the top talent on this year’s team – that’s LeBron, Kobe, and Durant – is very compatible with the top talent on the ’92 team – Jordan, Barkley, and Magic. After that, the talent more or less cancels each other out. The exceptions, of course, are the post capabilities both offensively and defensively of the ’92 squad, which boasted 4 legitimate post players, 2 of them seven footers. Meanwhile, Chandler is the only legitimate post player on the current squad (Love is good, but short and inexperienced; and Griffin, because of his athleticism, continues to be ridiculously overrated).
Now if the Olympics were being played according to NBA rules, then this post advantage would hardly matter and I think Kobe would be right because today’s guard-heavy game is difficult to stop and players like Bron, Harden and Westbrook would breeze past the Magic’s and the Stockton’s, the Mullin’s and the Drexler’s of lore. Once they’ve beaten their man, even a mobile big man like Robinson would be hard pressed to avoid foul trouble.
But alas, the big man still plays a significant role in the FIBA game where teams zone up defensively more often than NBA teams do, and where the paint is wider which allows big men more room to roam; and so I think the Dream Team’s advantage here would ultimately spell doom for the current team.
But it ain’t like the ’92 team would just whup that ass or anything, the talents of LeBron, Durant and even an aged Kobe are great equalizers, in my opinion. Now if the original team had included Zeke and Shaq like it was ‘sposed to, then yeah that ass would’ve been whupped. Then again, had today’s team included DHoward, a healthy DWade, maybe a Rondo then, again, I think they can hang.
Lastly, in addition to Kobe, LeBron, and Durant, I think Chris Paul also makes the original team. Otherwise, I see a lot of competitive balance on both teams, meaning I’m not sure why we would automatically assume that a cat like Chris Mullin (even though, yes, I AM a big fan of his game) is soooo much better than a cat like James Harden, etc. What I’m saying is this: after Jordan, Barkley and Magic (plus a special exemption for the big men Ewing and Robinson because, like I said before and as we all know already, the current team lacks size), who on the original team would “automatically” make the current team? Is Drexler THAT much better than Carmelo? Is Stockton light years ahead of Deron Williams? Not to me. Etc.
Anyway, I’m done. Another fun, but ultimately unprovable and therefore meaningless debate. Lol
I’m trying to understand why this 2012 team is overshadowing the 2008 “Redeem Team”? I must have missed something because, if i’m not mistaken, the 2012 haven’t won the gold yet.
@ LP:
Is today’s NBA rulebook at the root of the demise of the big man, or is the big man the root, stem, and flower of the problem?
Did a little check the other day: 7-footers scoring over 19 ppg in a single season since 2007? Dirk, Yao, Bargnani, Brook Lopez. Each of these players did it twice, except for Dirk, who did it 5x in this span.
This, combined with some other facts, tells me or suggests to me that the rules are not so much to blame as is the fact that big men simply do not remain in college long enough to hone their post moves (and thereby command being a #1 or #2 option upon making the league). Dwight Howard (always just a shade over 20), by way of example, played several games in the NBA Finals in which he was 4th or 5th or worse in FGA’s.
So, the bigs in today’s game (to my mind) are not hampered as much by the rulebook (compare that to pass rushers or DBs in the NFL) as they are hampered by their inadequate skill set.
When you contrast this environment with what existed in the 90′s…where players like Patrick Ewing and David Robinson were four-year college players, were dominant defensively (better on ball defenders than anything we’re seeing in the post today…by a wide margin), could score from most spots on the floor, and knock down FTs, and run the length of the floor to chase down blocks or finish transition plays — we’re actually talking about going BACK in the past to find something that today’s players simply don’t have to deal with.
We’re not talking about finishing baskets over Kendrick Perkins. We’re talking about finishing over David friggin’ Robinson — with Scottie Pippen on your hip. That’s an order or magnitude that is simply outside the experiential realm of this squad. I’m not suggesting they couldn’t adapt, but consider how successful the Lakers have been with Gasol and Bynum against modern players. Ewing and Robinson are leaps and bounds ahead of those two. Put Jordan, Pippen, Drexler (all in their primes) on a roster with Magic Johnson and you have a formidable defensive grouping.
The idea of Robinson or Ewing getting in foul trouble is debatable. It’s not a given. In fact, at those stages in their careers, I think folks would simply have trouble finishing over the top of them. I don’t have too many memories of anyone finishing over the top of David Robinson and most of the memories of Pippen or Jordan finishing over Ewing are in the context of them beating much slower (alright, atrocious) defenders off the dribble. That wouldn’t be the case in this game.
Do you really think Stockton plays more than 5 minutes in this game? Is Magic out defending the point? Not likely. So, I see the middle being closed for business. Dallas was able to do this in the Finals against Miami last year with a less athletic team.
Finally, I don’t know how long the current team could play with Tyson Chandler because his limited offensive skills would allow the best defender on the ’92 squad to roam freely. Chandler is strong, but lacks the girth to move either Ewing or Robinson.
I like the young cats, but I don’t see it. Hell, Kobe’s 5 years older than Jordan in this scenario — and he’s had trouble with Thabo Sefalosha and Mikael Pietrus…he don’t wanna see Scottie and Mike and Clyde in their prime…and none of these cats wanna see Angry Chuck and Angry Karl.
CP3 and Deron Williams would LOVE to see Angry Chuck and Angry Karl.
F*ck Angry Karl! More like f*ckin Doofus Karl lol! And regarding the ’92 teamers in their prime v. today’s team in its prime, I’m still not sold that the dream team could’ve handled today’s guards defensively. Shid Pip can’t guard everybody, ya know?
Otherwise I agree with you, brother. While improvements in technology, nutrition, and sports medicine have made for better athletes today, I’ve never watched Dwight Howard and said, “you know, his skills are on par with Pat Ewing,” etc.
But a skills assessment like that doesn’t apply to the guards and forwards. Sure MJ is gonna give it to KD, but KD gonna give it right back, feel me? Same thing with Chuck and LeBron. Same thing with the “old men” of their respective teams, Magic v. Kobe.
The big man’s skills may have declined over the years, and so because of this the obvious advantage goes to the ’92 team.
All the rest, I think, is up for grabs…
Would be epic either way — and Kobe, Magic and Bird would be the old guys. LOL!!