Dream TeamUSA Olympic Basketball

KOBE BRYANTAge: 34

Michael JordanAge: 29

LeBron JamesAge: 27

Charles BarkleyAge: 29

Kevin DurantAge: 23

Larry BirdAge: 35

Chris PaulAge: 27

Earvin JohnsonAge: 32

Tyson CHandlerAge: 30

David RobinsonAge: 27

Carmelo AnthonyAge: 28

Karl MaloneAge: 29

Kevin LoveAge: 23

Patrick EwingAge: 30

Russell WestbrookAge: 22

Clyde DrexlerAge: 30

Andre IguodalaAge: 28

Scottie PippenAge: 26

Deron WIlliamsAge: 28

John StocktonAge: 30

James HardenAge: 22

CHris MullinAge: 29

Anthony DavisAge: 19

Christian LaettnerAge: 22

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“Air Jordan” Jordan received his nickname due to his dunking ability; he seemed to hang in the air longer then anyone else could. Along with his dunks, he was also known as one of the most defensive players in basketball. Jordan is one of the most well known basketball players in the NBA and even has shoes named after him.

“Black Mamba” Nicknamed because when he plays, his strike is deadly. Kobe is one of the most intense players

and due to his aggressiveness & competiveness he is frequently compared to Jordan. Both players played the shooting guard position and were always the go to guy

during clutch moments.

“The Round Mound of Rebound” Barkley is known as one of NBA’s most dominating power forwards. Though he was considered small for his position, he was able to use his strength and aggressiveness to become one of NBA’s most dominant rebounders. Along with rebounds, he had the ability to score, create plays, and defend.

“King James” Nicknamed because everyone wants and will accommodate in any way to get him. He is a small

forward who is strong & athletic. Barkley and Lebron com-pare due to their ability to score, rebound, and pass the

ball. Though both versatile, Barkley is more aggressive to score, while Lebron is a more willing passer.

“Kodak” He received his nickname because he seemed to formulate mental pictures of every play that took place on the court. Bird played as a small forward and power for-ward and was considered one of the greatest all-around players in basketball history. He was great at scoring, passing, rebounding, and defending.

“Durantula” Given because of his length. Durant and Bird are both competitive players who also have strong work ethics that are contagious to their teams. They are also

both sharp shooters, rebounders, and great at fast breaks. Durant is a young rising super star of this era and contin-

ues to excel in every skill.

“Magic Johnson” Named Magic because his passes were like magic, he always seemed to have excellent court vision. Magic became one of NBA’s all-time greatest pass-ers. Magic ended his career early due to the controversial fight against HIV. Magic had a friendly rivalry against Larry Bird, due to the constant bump in at the NBA finals.

“CP3” Nickname was given due to his initials and jersey number. Though Paul and Johnson’s size difference is

huge and seemingly unfair, they both have crafty ball han-dling and excellent passing abilities. Paul has the ability

to find his way down a lane and score, while also being a sneaky defender.

“The Admiral” Robinson received his nickname because he spent his college days at the U.S. Naval Academy. He also took two years off his NBA career to fulfill his service obligations. Robinson became one of the greatest centers in NBA history as a highly defensive player. Later, he re-ceived the nickname The Twin Towers” with Tim Duncan.

Chandler compares with David Robinson due to their defensive abilities and their big body types. Although Chandler does not get many blocks, his presence is

always there to change a player’s shot. Chandler is not necessarily a scorer, but he currently holds the NBA’s top

field goal percentage.

“The Mailman” Power forward, received his nickname be-cause he always delivered during clutch moments. Malone was known to have one of the greatest physiques in NBA, missing only 5 games in his first 13 years. Malone current-ly holds the second most career points in NBA history and the record for the most free throws attempted and made.

“Melo” Anthony typically plays the small forward position while Malone is strictly a power forward. Though differ-

ing in position and play style, both are proficient scorers. Malone is an ideal pick and roll big man while Anthony

functions better with a isolated offense. Both players contain the innate ability to get to the free throw line.

Ewing is a Jamaican-American basketball player who played the center position for the New York Knicks. Ewing became one of the best center shooters to play in the NBA and is the Knick’s all-time leader in scoring, rebound-ing, blocks, and steals. He was always relentless when he was trying to pursue the NBA championships.

Love compares to Ewing because they are both big men of the paint. Ewing is a dominant defensive center while

Love is typically a power forward. Though both strong rebounders and comfortable in the paint, Kevin Love is a stretch four who can step outside an arc and drain three

pointers for you.

“Clyde the Glide” Played as a shooting guard and small forward. He became one of NBA’s all-time great guards. Drexler was known for his ability to get under the rim. He was able to easily get to the net with seemingly effortless swoops to the basket. After a while in the NBA, he became better at his shooting from a distant range.

Though Westbrook and Drexler play different positions, they were both extremely athletic and were able to get to

the rim. Both players were not known for outside shooting but quickly developed one during their NBA career.

Westbrook is one of the fastest and durable players in current NBA.

“Pip” Pippen played along side Jordan and was con-sidered one of NBA’s best small forwards of all time. He is known as one of NBA’s best defenders, he had great on-ball and perimeter defense. Pippen was versatile and agile; he also had long arms and jumping agility. These allowed him to easily block players.

“Iggy” Iguodala is a guard/forward while Pippen played forward, but both were essential to their teams. Though

different positions, Iguodala and Pippen compare due to their versatility. They were not known for their offensive

ability, but instead, known for their lock-down defensive ability.

“Stock” Played with Malone and practically made each other. They were the quintessential pick and roll duo. Stockton became one of the best point guards of all time. He currently holds the NBA record for most career assist and steals by considerable margins. Stockton had good work ethic and was also considered durable.

Williams compares to Stockton beacuse they are pointguards. When Williams started out, people believed that

he was going to be the next Stockton, but better. He wasable to slash to the basket and finish strong. He was also

able to facilitate his team, and score for another. LikeStockton, Williams ran a two-man pick and role.

Mullin played as a shooting guard and small forward in the NBA. Mullin established himself as a versatile player in the NBA, but before that he was in rehab because of a drink-ing problem. After rehab, Mullin became a fitness freak for led the league in minutes played. Even with injuries, Mullin continued to push through and help his team.

Harden and Mullin are both shooters, but Harden is con-sidered a stronger finisher. This is due to his ability to drive

in and draw contact to get to the free throw line. Both players were able to shoot with their left hands, but Mullin was able to shoot with both. Though Mullin was a spot up

shooter, Harden is considered a more rounded player.

Laettner was the only player from the 1992 Dream Team who did not end up in the Hall of Fame. He held the re-cord for most points scored, free throws made, and most games played in the NCAA. He became known for his last-second, back-to-the-basket, turn-around, game-win-ning jump shot in a Duke versus Kentucky game.

Davis and Laettner compare due to their power forward positions and being the only college player selected to play in the Olympics. Although, their skill sets are com-

pletely different, Laettner was more of an offensive player, while Davis was more of a defensive player and holds the

block record for freshmen in the NCAA.

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Basketball has been one of the sports that USA is able to dominate in during the Olympics. Though we dominate in basketball, we did not always play the game with NBA players, back before 1992, Olympic basketball players were picked out from colleges. In 1992, players from the NBA began playing for the USA in the Olympic games. This team was deemed, “The Dream Team”. The Dream Team was built up of players who are now hall of famers. Many did not believe that the team would play well together when it originally started—star struck team. Proving everyone wrong, the 1992 Dream team was able to excel in all levels and bring home the gold. In 2012, another star struck team was formed. These players were often compared to the 1992 dream team with arguments of who would beat who if the 1992 Dream Team was still in their prime.

THE 2012 “DREAM TEAM” consists of rising stars, but are they tough enough to beat the 1992 hall of famers? The players of 2012 are younger and are still developing their skills. Throughout their de-velopment, these young players are often compared to players from the 1992 Dream team—by skills and position.

This chart shows the height versus the wingspan of each player from the 1992 and 2012 Dream Team. Player’s weight would have been taken into account, but their weights are so close that the difference is barely shown. Wingspan affects players ability to a great deal, with a large wingspan, players have greater defense. They are able to steal, block, and pass the ball better. The height also takes into account for what position they are able to play, as well as their ability to shoot and block. Looking at the chart, we notice that in 2012, we lack real big men. Big men are essential in playing against oppo-nents in basketball, without big men, certain plays cannot be used and often times, defense goes down.

THE 1992 DREAM TEAM is the original dream team that occurred. They were the first Olympic team that was formed out of NBA player. 11 out of 12 players from the 1992 dream team retired from the NBA and ended up in the Hall of Fame. Players from the 1992 team creat-ed many of the moves and skills that are seen in today’s basketball.

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Averages AveragesTotals Totals

Dana Lui | SFSU Design & Industry | Dai 523 - Professor Trogu | Final Project | Fall 2012Sources: Basketball Reference, NBA

BASKETBALL

‘926.0 6.5 7.0 7.5

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Height (Feet)

Wingspan (Feet)

Stockton

Paul

Williams

Drexler

Barkley Iguodala

James

Bird

Davis

Mullin

Jordan Bryant

Carmelo

Johnson

Westbrook

Harden

Pippen

Malone

Robinson Chandler

Laettner

Durant

Ewing

Love