Which Dream Team is better, 1992 or 2012?

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

1992 Dream Team curb stomps 2012

And it wouldn’t be close. If the played by 92 rules 12 would be left bruised and crying.

[cosmo20002]

Is this a joke thread? 92, easy.

Some like to point out that Bird and Magic were washed up and were just there as names. Magic had sat out a season, but was only 32 and his prior season he his averages were 19/7/12. He could play.

And Bird's back was wrecked and the Olympics were his final games, yet even with the bad back in a physical era, he still went for 20/10/7 his final season leading to the Olympics.

[Megatron96]

Bryant and James must've been on crack when they said they could've beaten DT92.

If they played by the old rules, DT12 would've been shellacked before HT in every game.

By today's rules, it might take a little longer, but I'd be surprised if DT12 could've beaten DT92 more than once in 10 games.

[DRM08]

Scary thing with the 92 team: imagine if Olajuwon was already a citizen. He missed out on 1992 due to citizenship issue, but he was on the 1996 team. Imagine if they took Shaq instead of Laettner. Shaq and Hakeem plus all the other guys on that 92 team...holy cow

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by DRM08

Scary thing with the 92 team: imagine if Olajuwon was already a citizen. He missed out on 1992 due to citizenship issue, but he was on the 1996 team. Imagine if they took Shaq instead of Laettner. Shaq and Hakeem plus all the other guys on that 92 team...holy cow

If they took the Dream, DT12 would never beat them in a hundred tries . . .

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by DRM08

Scary thing with the 92 team: imagine if Olajuwon was already a citizen. He missed out on 1992 due to citizenship issue, but he was on the 1996 team. Imagine if they took Shaq instead of Laettner. Shaq and Hakeem plus all the other guys on that 92 team...holy cow

I would love to hear the reasoning of choosing Laettner over Shaq. Was it due to him being a junior? Laettner was hot trash.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

I would love to hear the reasoning of choosing Laettner over Shaq. Was it due to him being a junior? Laettner was hot trash.

As I recall, they were obligated to take at least one college player.

It was understood at the time, that the roster would be comprised of some combination of pro and college players. As a token to amateur teams of the past, it was ultimately decided that the 1992 roster would include at least one collegian.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

As I recall, they were obligated to take at least one college player.

It was understood at the time, that the roster would be comprised of some combination of pro and college players. As a token to amateur teams of the past, it was ultimately decided that the 1992 roster would include at least one collegian.

Yep.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

As I recall, they were obligated to take at least one college player.

It was understood at the time, that the roster would be comprised of some combination of pro and college players. As a token to amateur teams of the past, it was ultimately decided that the 1992 roster would include at least one collegian.

Shaq was a college player as well and a hell of a lot better than Laettner.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Shaq was a college player as well and a hell of a lot better than Laettner.

From my old rag "The Sporting News":

"He (Laettner) had just won the Wooden Award and back-to-back national championships at Duke. His Elite Eight buzzer beater against Kentucky that year remains iconic.

So while Shaquille O'Neal (LSU) and Alonzo Mourning (Georgetown) were probably better players at the time, Laettner did have star power of his own.

. . . O'Neal has said that while he was frustrated to be left out, he understood the choice.

“I was pissed off. I was jealous," O'Neal said in a radio interview during the 2012 NBA Finals. "But then I had to come to the realization that I was a more explosive, more powerful player, but Christian Laettner was a little bit more fundamentally sound than I was.""

[tk13]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

I would love to hear the reasoning of choosing Laettner over Shaq. Was it due to him being a junior? Laettner was hot trash.

Far be it for me to defend Christian Laettner, but this is some serious revisionist history. Laettner was a starter on 4 Final Four teams, won two titles, player of the year, all kinds of awards. Was considered an all-time clutch college player, including two buzzer beaters to send them to the Final Four. Shaq was a monster though, no doubt. But considering whoever they chose was going to ride the bench anyway, it was pretty easy to go with the guy who'd just led his team to two straight titles and was considered one of the greatest college players of all time.

[RustShack]

Originally Posted by tk13

Far be it for me to defend Christian Laettner, but this is some serious revisionist history. Laettner was a starter on 4 Final Four teams, won two titles, player of the year, all kinds of awards. Was considered an all-time clutch college player, including two buzzer beaters to send them to the Final Four. Shaq was a monster though, no doubt. But considering whoever they chose was going to ride the bench anyway, it was pretty easy to go with the guy who'd just led his team to two straight titles and was considered one of the greatest college players of all time.

How did his NBA career go? I’m pretty intrigued, I’d never heard the name but I was also 3 1/2 during the 92 Olympics.

[Megatron96]

Originally Posted by RustShack

How did his NBA career go? I’m pretty intrigued, I’d never heard the name but I was also 3 1/2 during the 92 Olympics.

https://www.landofbasketball.com/nba...n_laettner.htm

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by tk13

Far be it for me to defend Christian Laettner, but this is some serious revisionist history. Laettner was a starter on 4 Final Four teams, won two titles, player of the year, all kinds of awards. Was considered an all-time clutch college player, including two buzzer beaters to send them to the Final Four. Shaq was a monster though, no doubt. But considering whoever they chose was going to ride the bench anyway, it was pretty easy to go with the guy who'd just led his team to two straight titles and was considered one of the greatest college players of all time.

Let me be clear here; there was NOTHING revisionist about it. I was/am a Timberwolves fan. I wanted literally anyone BUT Laettner in that stupid draft. Seriously, anyone. So, yeah, I knew exactly who he was and how that was going to go down. Who do you think drafted his worthless ass?

Edit: I STILL have that NBA almanac that included the draft-eligible players. ****ing Laettner.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

Let me be clear here; there was NOTHING revisionist about it. I was/am a Timberwolves fan. I wanted literally anyone BUT Laettner in that stupid draft. Seriously, anyone. So, yeah, I knew exactly who he was and how that was going to go down. Who do you think drafted his worthless ass?

Edit: I STILL have that NBA almanac that included the draft-eligible players. ****ing Laettner.

Googs or JJ may have had slightly better careers but they didnt miss out on any one to lose sleep over.