"They would beat this year's USA team" - Isaiah Thomas bluntly states his preference between Redeem Team & '92 Dream Team
Veteran guard Isaiah Thomas has made his pick known in the longtime Redeem Team vs. Dream Team debate. The two teams, along with this year's 2024 Team USA group, are considered the three greatest teams ever assembled in the history of USA Basketball. Back in 1992, NBA players competed in the Olympics for the first time after the Olympic Committee voted to allow professionals to compete.
The USA Basketball program responded by assembling a roster of some of the greatest players of all time. With seasoned veterans such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird playing alongside NBA young NBA talents such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, the 1992 Dream Team was, at the time, considered the best ever.
Then, after a disappointing finish at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the USA Basketball program assembled the Redeem Team, a group of some of the greatest players NBA fans had ever seen.
Led by Kobe Bryant, the goal was to not only capture gold, but also remind the world of Team USA's dominance on a global stage. Heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics, where LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry will look to lead Team USA to gold, the debate has resurfaced.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, veteran guard Isaiah Thomas weighed in on the Redeem Team-Dream Team debate.
"My son asked me if this years USA team is better than the dream team & the redeem team…. I said the redeem team is the best. They would beat the dream team fa shooooo and this years USA team"
Looking at the Redeem Team and the Dream Team's, best-performing players after Isaiah Thomas' post
Given the debate that has continued to take place regarding the Dream Team and the Redeem Team, NBA fans have continued to discuss how the two teams would match up against one another. As we've seen, Isaiah Thomas' son is no exception, asking his dad to weigh in on the debate.
The Dream Team was led offensively by Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, with Barkley finishing the '92 Olympics as Team USA's leading scorer, averaging 18.0 points per game while Michael Jordan averaged 14.9ppg.
In the assist department, Scottie Pippen and Magic Johnson led the way for the Dream Team with 5.9apg for the former, and 5.5apg for the latter. On the glass, Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing both led the way for Team USA with 5.3rpg each.
In the case of the Redeem Team, the team was led offensively by Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant, with Wade averaging 16.0ppg, James averaging 15.5ppg, and Bryant averaging 15.0ppg.
Chris Paul also led the team in assists with 4.1apg, while Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard dominated the boards with 6.1rpg and 5.8rpg respectively. In the case of both teams, they went undefeated through the Olympics, both in the Group Phase and the Olympic playoffs.
Given the dominance of both teams, it's no surprise that there have been a number of debates regarding which is better, just like Isaiah Thomas' son asked.