From the pages of the Christian Science Monitor, BallinEurope this morning brings not exactly an argument-starter about Team USA 2012 vs. The Dream Team, but an interesting perspective to what this squad has achieved after a 20-year history of the relatively unloved Dream Teams II and III, the Nightmare Team and the “B Team”. BiE always hated that moniker and doesn’t exactly dig the pet name given this bunch either: “Dream Team 2.” How about “The 21st-Century Dream Team” or even “Dream Team 2.0”?
The CSM article runs in full below.
London 2012 basketball: Why LeBron James and Co. are a true 'Dream Team' (via The Christian Science Monitor)
Could the current US men’s basketball team beat the 1992 “Dream Team”? LeBron James has said so, and the way he’s playing these days, who are we to gainsay anything that comes out of his mouth? But something else is more certain, and perhaps more important. The 12 men of the United States Olympic basketball…
Tags: 2012 Olympic Games, Andre Iguodala, Brian Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Dream Team, Jerry Colangelo, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Olympic Games 2008, Team USA
Brian Westbrook? The football player? lol
Yeah I don’t like the title Dream Team 2 either, too similar to Dream Team II. I prefer to just let it be a nameless USA team like the gold medal winning team of 2000 or the losing teams of 2002, 2004 & 2006 but supposedly the 2004 team is called the nightmare team. I haven’t heard that before as an official nickname. I mean they still won bronze. Maybe if they lost the quarter-finals game to Spain or perhaps the 2002 team could be called the nightmare team.
Very good informative article, though. We will see in a few hours, but the USA is poised to take over the basketball world with a dominance not seen since the early 90′s.
In many ways, this run since 2006 really, is more enduring and more joyful to watch than those early Dream Team days. The world is much better in basketball(unlike in the early 90′s), and the threat actually exists that a committed, smart, determined team could beat the US for one game in any single tournament, but Gus, sorry, your prayers to the devil won’t help you this time. LOL
More important than just basketball, the US has acted with sportsmanship and respect of the game. The Spanish have been accused in a very direct way by the French team of tanking the Brazil game, and Batum punched Navarro in the groin to make a point of flopping by the Spaniards, who are flopper specialist. The Argentine guard punched Melo on the groin too, but the US didn’t respond. The US has been blowing teams away making a mockery of international basketball, sorry but it’s true, while treating everyone with the respect they deserve. Can’t be more beautiful than that.
If Team USA loses to Spain in the gold medal game, then Gabe, mike, and Phileus must not post here for ONE YEAR.
For YEARS I have to read Gabe’s bullshit here about how Argentina was the “third best team in the world” and it was was a fact simply because they won bronze at teh 2008 Olympics and that is “the only thing that matters”.
Meanwhile, any loss by ANY European team “proved they are worse than Argentina”.
Well, Argentina was 5th at the 2010 World Cup and 4th at the 2012 Olympics.
And they got beat by the THIRD PLACE EuroBasket team.
I don’t want to ever fucking EVER see Gabe say again that Argentina is the third best team in the world.
I am so SICK OF THIS FUCKING GUY’S BULLSHIT.
Argentina would be very lucky to even qualify to the Olympics if they had to go through EuroBasket every time to do so.
GOD DAMN THIS GABE IS A MOTHERFUCKING IDIOT.
Let’s see they got 4th place and that means they’re not the 3rd best time in the world? 3rd and 4th are pretty close. Closer than not qualifying. So you’re telling me that making the top 5 of every event since 2002 does not make you a top 3 team? Who not named USA and Spain is better? Russia? They placed 7th in the 2010 Worlds and 9th in the 2008 Olympics.
Well, Argentina almost won, just like Greece just lost by a point to Nigeria. In the end, the proud Argentinians felt there was a foul after Ginobili made that steal in the final seconds, but it wasn’t called, just like when the refs didn’t call a potential foul on Spanoulis last second shot. Those are the breaks, and Argentina had a great run with a Gold medal, a silver, a bronze, and tons of respect from Americans. Ginobili showed the NBA he is one of the great players of the last 10 years. BTW, that’s something we can’t say for Greece who haven’t done a thing since 2006, and whose best player, Spanoulis, went home crying to momma back in Greece from Houston. LOL
Having said that, what a great game by Schved! I take it back, he looked great out there, almost like an NBA All-Star. He has the potential especially working with a pass first PG in Rubio, and his Russian teammate, Kirelnko, in Minny.
And what would happen Goran if the US were to win it’s 3rd straight Gold Medal? Will you stop with your pathetic insults and racism? Oh wait, I forgot, it’s in your blood, and DNA, being a hater and all.
USA only beat Spain by 7 and Lithuania by 5.
A team of 12 Euroleague all stars would beat Team USA by 30-40 points.