Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers' five-time NBA champion, discombobulated the sports world this week when he declared that his Olympic basketball squad could beat 1992's Dream Team, the gold-medal-winning squad which many fans consider the most singularly talented group of athletes ever assembled. "We have just a bunch of young race horses, you know, guys that are eager to compete," said Bryant, whose Team USA teammates include Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and LeBron James. "It would be a tough one, but I think we'd pull it out." Original Dream Teamers dismissed the idea: Charles Barkley called it preposterous, while Michael Jordan said he "absolutely laughed." Could this year's team outplay Jordan's mighty '92 squad?
Absolutely not: Kobe's comments are ridiculous "braggadocio," says Ben Golliver at CBS Sports. Only three players on this year's team could even make the '92 roster: Bryant, Durant, and James. Kobe's squad "might have been able to give the Dream Team a real game" at full strength, but several stars — Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, and Derrick Rose — are injured and not even on the team. The remaining crew simply couldn't cut it against Jordan, Barkley, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Scottie Pippen. You're right to laugh, MJ.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
