The 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball squad known as “the Dream Team” often is viewed as the greatest collection of talent the sport has ever seen, but that’s not stopping Draymond Green from boldly claiming they would get beaten soundly by America’s 2024 group currently chasing gold in Paris.
During an episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” the Warriors forward detailed why he believes the 2024 squad presents matchup issues for the Dream Team, despite the latter’s star-studded cast that includes some of the greatest NBA players of all time.
“This 2024 team are definitely drawing those comparisons to the Dream Team, and quite frankly, I’m taking the 2024 team seven days a week,” Green said. “I think the 2024 team beats the Dream Team five out of seven games. Got to give the Dream Team some respect, they got GOATs, we get it. They got Hall of Famers, we get it. I just think the versatility on that team, the star power, the scoring, I don’t think the Dream Team can do anything with that.”
Green did add a caveat, however, stating that things could be different if the Dream Team had legendary center Shaquille O’Neal rather than Duke star Christian Laettner.
“Now, if the Dream Team has Shaq on it, and not Christian Laettner, maybe a different story,” Green explained. “That’s why I don’t think the Dream Team could come close. I wouldn’t say come close … a 10-point loss. Double digits, by 2024 Team USA. You can book it.”
The Dream Team steamrolled their opposition during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, posting a perfect 8-0 record with a whopping 44-point average margin of victory. Of the 12 players on the Dream Team, all but one eventually would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Players like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and former Golden State forward Chris Mullin were among the headliners on the Americans’ loaded 1992 squad, although things have changed drastically in the three decades since.
It’s important to note the strides made in international basketball over the last 32 years, with the last six NBA MVP awards going to players born outside of the U.S., highlighting a much more difficult present-day path to basketball domination on the global stage.
Team USA’s 2024 squad is led by LeBron James and Steph Curry, who boast a combined six MVP awards and eight championships between them. While there might not be the headline-grabbing names the Dream Team had, the American 2024 squad is filled with high-level NBA players who slot well into specific roles — which can be crucial when attempting to define hierarchy among superstars who are accustomed to being the No.1 option on the court.
It remains to be seen if Team USA will secure gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but for Green, he has seen enough to confidently declare this group could handily take down the legendary Dream Team.
