Pesic opens the debate: Which team is better, the 1992 Dream Team or the 2024 USA Team?
EIn 1992 the completed project of David Stern changed basketball forever. The then NBA Commissioner completed that year what he had been pursuing for a long time, that NBA stars could represent their country in FIBA tournaments, especially in the Olympic Games. He Dream Team Original was the culmination of those negotiations between NBA and FIBA and ended up becoming the greatest contribution to basketball since its creation in 1891.
Because the Dream Team’s overall impact was impressive and probably unexpected due to its enormous size. Basketball reached every corner of the planet with that all-star teamon the way to being legends who stayed on a boat and not in the Olympic Village and who swept the tournament like never before seen.
In 1992 the NBA, together with USA Basketball, made sure that the US representatives were the best of that era (and the following ones), bringing together Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley y Chris Mullin. The only discordant note, that of Christian Laettner what should have been Shaquille O’Neal, the most promising university student of that year. Even the coach, Chuck Dalywas top, after leading the Pistons to two rings in the Bad Boys era.
It was said of them in their day that they were the best team ever assembled. Not basketball, any team sport. The end of the careers of all of them, except Laettner of course, It does nothing other than confirm that statement.. It was a unique team and there will never be another like it, nor better… until now.
Pesic goes into action
According to Svetislav Pesic, 74 years old and one of the most authoritative voices in world basketballthe Original Dream Team is not better than the team that will represent the United States in Paris 2024, on the contrary: “This American team is better than the original Dream Team from 1992. But I won’t talk about that topic with the players until it’s time“, said Pesic in an interview for Mozzart Sport. “I was there with the German team and we thought there would never be better players than those. This team that we will see in Paris will be stronger than that one. And also not everyone will prepare just for them just as not everyone prepared just for the Dream Team in 1992. Of course, everyone wanted and will want a photo with them. It is not what we want. We will talk about the Americans when necessary,” he concluded.
Pesic faced off as Germany coach to the Dream Team in Barcelona 1992, and like all the teams that dared to play against them, was crushed without mercy: 111-68. Now Pesic has another great challenge because the US is in his group at the Games. And according to the Serbian coach, his team aspires to everything, even if he has to play against the best team in history. Last year Serbia was runner-up in the world after losing in the World Cup final to Germany. Now he wants to climb one more step on the podium.
Pesic had all kinds of responses, most of them very critical, opening a debate that already arose when the 2024 team was announced. Then there was talk of other great American teams, such as Atlanta 1996considered the Dream Team II, also with a huge plethora of players on its ‘roster’, or that of London 2012. In all these comparisons, the 1992 team usually wins, but now there is again discussion with what Pesic has said about the 2024 team that, among other players, will present established stars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum y Kawhi Leonard (if he recovers in time), along with top players in the League like Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo y Tyrese Haliburton.
