Kobe - I agree with him

[IndyColtsFan]

ok, by your logic they have more NBA players and they're staying closer in these games and/or by my logic the rest of the worlds non NBA players are catching up to NBA level

where do I lose here in this argument?

You lost the argument when you claimed there were no good international teams in 92. The Croatian and Lithuanian teams from 92 would be frontrunners in 2012 as well. No one is saying that international players haven't gotten better since then, but to act like they were all trash in 92 is ridiculous especially when top teams then did have NBA players as well.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

You lost the argument when you claimed there were no good international teams in 92. The Croatian and Lithuanian teams from 92 would be frontrunners in 2012 as well. No one is saying that international players haven't gotten better since then, but to act like they were all trash in 92 is ridiculous especially when top teams then did have NBA players as well.

keep living in the nostalgia of the past

those teams wouldn't be relevant by today's standards

the dream team is the only one that could compete

 

[IndyColtsFan]

keep living in the nostalgia of the past

those teams wouldn't be relevant by today's standards

the dream team is the only one that could compete

Yes, the Dream Team would beat the 2012 team. You're correct.

 

[Garet Jax]

I'll say three things for sure:

1) No one can possibly know with any degree of certainty who would win if the 92 and 12 teams faced off with each other. It is a fun debate but we could never understand the degree of heart that Jordan has or the lack thereof that King James has.
2) Any player that has to tell us how good he is and his team is is lacking somewhere. This is especially true before they have won anything.
3) No player from the 92 team would ever have suggested such a thing.

I stopped watching or caring much for basketball years ago. It coincided very directly with the ends of the careers of the players on 1992's team. Today's era of American player is arrogant and self serving - they no longer play as a team or play defense.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I'll say three things for sure:

1) No one can possibly know with any degree of certainty who would win if the 92 and 12 teams faced off with each other. It is a fun debate but we could never understand the degree of heart that Jordan has or the lack thereof that King James has.
2) Any player that has to tell us how good he is and his team is is lacking somewhere. This is especially true before they have won anything.
3) No player from the 92 team would ever have suggested such a thing.

I stopped watching or caring much for basketball years ago. It coincided very directly with the ends of the careers of the players on 1992's team. Today's era of American player is arrogant and self serving - they no longer play as a team or play defense.

the 92 had the advantage of existing before the age of the internet and twitter, the almighty Jordan was far from a saint

 

[Capt Caveman]

I love Lithuania. Who doesn't love a country where basketball is a religion?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1189174/index.htm

Yep, a nation of 3 million almost beat the US. Pretty pathetic but then again, this US team is over-rated.

 

[Childs]

92 was the first olympics where pros were allowed, ie that's how far behind the rest of the world was when we decided to go all out with pros

one doesn't even need to know basketball to put that together

you're just living in the nostalgia of the past

You forget why the US went to using Pros, because the Soviet Union beat the US in the previous Olympics. The players in that era from Russia, Lithunia and Croatia were better than the Euro and South American pros the US is competing against now. Petrovic, Kukoc, Marciulionis, Sabonis, etc. The one improvement I would concede to the modern Euro teams is that they seem to have more depth now, but that might be only because foreign players where just starting to come into the NBA in the late 80s/early 90s.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

You forget why the US went to using Pros, because the Soviet Union beat the US in the previous Olympics. The players in that era from Russia, Lithunia and Croatia were better than the Euro and South American pros the US is competing against now. Petrovic, Kukoc, Marciulionis, Sabonis, etc. The one improvement I would concede to the modern Euro teams is that they seem to have more depth now, but that might be only because foreign players where just starting to come into the NBA in the late 80s/early 90s.

Petrovic would've been a big star in the NBA had he lived longer -- that was a major tragedy.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

the 92 had the advantage of existing before the age of the internet and twitter, the almighty Jordan was far from a saint

Jordan wasn't a saint and neither were Barkley, Bird, or Magic. But they had exceptional basketball IQs.

Contrast that to Kobe, who I just watched driving the ball into double and triple coverage and STILL trying to take the shot.

 

[Garet Jax]

the 92 had the advantage of existing before the age of the internet and twitter, the almighty Jordan was far from a saint

I never said anything differently - I still believe Jordan "retired" because of gambling issues and was only allowed back in the game once they were fixed. I also believe that his father's death is way too coincidental to be anything but related to Jordan's gambling problems.

With that said, Jordan always wanted the ball to close the game and he was deadly when he had it. King James doesn't want the ball and is happy to let other close his games.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

You forget why the US went to using Pros, because the Soviet Union beat the US in the previous Olympics. The players in that era from Russia, Lithunia and Croatia were better than the Euro and South American pros the US is competing against now. Petrovic, Kukoc, Marciulionis, Sabonis, etc. The one improvement I would concede to the modern Euro teams is that they seem to have more depth now, but that might be only because foreign players where just starting to come into the NBA in the late 80s/early 90s.

Except the US voted against using pros, they went with pros not just to win but basically because that's the hand that was dealt despite trying to avoid it.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I never said anything differently - I still believe Jordan "retired" because of gambling issues and was only allowed back in the game once they were fixed. I also believe that his father's death is way too coincidental to be anything but related to Jordan's gambling problems.

With that said, Jordan always wanted the ball to close the game and he was deadly when he had it. King James doesn't want the ball and is happy to let other close his games.

I was only talking about your comments on players basically talking trash/boasting about their team/themselves. We don't think of Jordan or most of the dream team in that light simply because we only saw what the media chose to show us. In today's world of the internet anything that is ever said pretty much will never go away or stay hidden, and with twitter athletes become truly unfiltered.

 

[zinfamous]

those teams wouldn't be relevant by today's standards

the dream team is the only one that could compete

horseshit.

seriously, did you just start watching basketball a few years ago? Hell--the NBA isn't even basketball anymore. The reason the Euros are so good now, and those teams were great then, is because they understand and play basketball.

The NBA has moved on to Iso crap. It isn't even a game anymore.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

horseshit.

seriously, did you just start watching basketball a few years ago? Hell--the NBA isn't even basketball anymore. The reason the Euros are so good now, and those teams were great then, is because they understand and play basketball.

The NBA has moved on to Iso crap. It isn't even a game anymore.

nostalgia ftl

keep living in the past dude, as long as you're happy (although it doesn't seem that way) who am I to question it

 

[Childs]

Except the US voted against using pros, they went with pros not just to win but basically because that's the hand that was dealt despite trying to avoid it.

The ABAUSA only represented amateurs at the time, so their vote made sense. And their reasoning for the most part was sound, except they didn't factor in pro complacency.