"It puts me in a bad mood" - Charles Barkley bluntly shuts down comparisons between 2024 Team USA and the '92 Dream Team
NBA legend Charles Barkley has made his thoughts clear about the 2024 Team USA and the legendary 1992 Dream Team. After that '92 team marked an era and gave the blueprint for all the teams that came after it, it's common to see fans and analysts bringing that squad in conversations whenever the Olympics are close.
Barkley didn't mince words when speaking about that team, talking about a clear difference between the Dream Team and whatever team came after it.
"It puts me in a bad mood when they compare the Dream Team to this current team. ... I hope that after seeing these results there are no doubts about who is the best team. All our victories were by more than 30 points, without asking for a single timeout. "
The 1992 Dream Teams was full of Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and David Robinson, to name a few. That squad marked an era and became one of the most memorable teams in the world of sports regardless of the discipline or the tournament.
What followed that team were attempts to copy the success it had and while some squads like the 2008 Redeem Team or the 2012 Team USA made notable impressions, nothing compares to the 1992 team.
Serbia HC disagrees with Charles Barkley, says USA’s 2024 Olympic team is better than 1992 Dream Team
The debate surrounding the 1992 Dream Team and the teams that came after it doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon. The game has evolved, the opponents have evolved and the conversation continues with different points of view.
Svetislav Pesic, the current Serbian men's basketball team's coach, offers a different opinion to Charles Barkley's, as he believes this year's squad is better than the 1992 one.
“This American team is better than the original Dream Team from 1992,” Pesic said (via Mozzart Sport).
He recalled that he was coaching during the Barcelona Olympics, saying that the 2024 Team USA is stronger than the original Dream Team.
“I was there with the German team, and then we thought there were no better players than these,” Pesic said. “This team that will appear in Paris will be stronger than the Dream Team, with the fact that not everyone will prepare just for them like not everyone was prepared just for the team in 1992.”
After going undefeated in five pre-Olympic exhibition games, Team USA is ready to get the gold medal in the Paris Olympics.