Nikola Jokic's Serbian coach deems USA’s 2024 Olympic team outshines 1992 Dream Team
The Paris Olympics are right around the corner, and the men's basketball action will begin on July 27. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jocic's coach on the Serbian national team, Svetislav Pesic, has deemed the USA's 2024 Olympic roster to be even better than their 1992 Dream Team, which featured Michael Jordan and Co.
“This American team is better than the original Dream Team from 1992,” Pesic said (via Mozzart Sport). "Although we don’t deal with them and I won’t talk to my players about them.”
Pesic built credibility for his statement by highlighting his role as the head coach of the German national team, which faced the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics. The German team was defeated 111-68, similar to all the other teams that Team USA faced on their way to clinching gold in 1992.
“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 Dream Team in 1992."
The 1992 Dream Team consisted of a star-studded roster that included Michael Jordon, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen and Christian Laettner.
Meanwhile, Team USA ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics features LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Jrue Holiday and Bam Adebayo.
The team will look to secure their fifth-straight Olympic gold and reclaim the top spot in international basketball after finishing fourth in the FIBA World Cup in 2023.
Team USA to open 2024 Paris Olympics against Nikola Jokic's Serbia
Team USA will play their first game of the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 28 against Nikola Jokic and the Serbian national team. Both the USA and Serbia have been drawn into Group C alongside South Sudan and a team yet to qualify for the tournament.
Serbia directly qualified for the Olympics after finishing second in the FIBA World Cup 2023, where they lost to the German national team in the finals. However, they secured the achievement in the absence of their star player, Nikola Jokic, who decided not to play in the summer after clinching his first NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.