Dream Team Documentary

[drudy23]

Wednesday night...20 years later...supposed to be very good.

Should be interesting to see some of the practice tapes that are out there (against each other and the college kids).

Couple of story lines I've read:

Jordan didn't initially want to play
No one wanted Isaiah to play
Daly "threw" the game against the college kids
Laettner (obviously) didn't fit in

[ammtd34]

Wednesday night...20 years later...supposed to be very good.

Should be interesting to see some of the practice tapes that are out there (against each other and the college kids).

Couple of story lines I've read:

Jordan didn't initially want to play
No one wanted Isaiah to play
Daly "threw" the game against the college kids
Laettner (obviously) didn't fit in

There was about 10 minutes worth of Dream Team stuff on Sports Center this weekend. Coach K said that Daly orchestrated the loss to the college kids. Chris Mullin said he just found that out. Magic said that Jordan led the front against Isiah. I'm looking forward to watching this.

[XUOHTX]

I don't get NBA TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[X-band '01]

NBA TV is usually on the sports tier for cable networks (like CBS Sports Network, NBC Sports Network, MLB TV, etc.)

[xu95]

Unless you have Directv where it is free (well free in terms of not needing to upgrade your package)

[Ledgewood]

Am I the only one not overly interested in The Dream Team? I get it, a lot of an era's NBA superstars decided to play together in an Olympic tournament... But what did it show/prove? They didn't play anyone cuz basketball wasn't that much of a global game like it is now. I guess if you just wanted to see an exibition of great players beating the shit out of the equivalent to average college players, then fantastic. But that'd be like me and my brother going to an old folks home and running through a beer pong tournament. Big deal. I guess it's interesting cuz that was back in the good old days where there were players that weren't all best pals in the league (i hate that about todays NBA).

[ammtd34]

Am I the only one not overly interested in The Dream Team? I get it, a lot of an era's NBA superstars decided to play together in an Olympic tournament... But what did it show/prove? They didn't play anyone cuz basketball wasn't that much of a global game like it is now. I guess if you just wanted to see an exibition of great players beating the shit out of the equivalent to average college players, then fantastic. But that'd be like me and my brother going to an old folks home and running through a beer pong tournament. Big deal. I guess it's interesting cuz that was back in the good old days where there were players that weren't all best pals in the league (i hate that about todays NBA).

It was a big deal because basketball was picking up steam outside of the US and we only managed a bronze medal in Korea. The US basically wanted to assemble a team to crush everyone. They did.

Everyone knew they would win. I think the fascination comes from knowing that a better team will likely never be assembled in any sport for any reason.

[Ledgewood]

Yeahhhh you're right. I'll bet that did contribute a lot to basketball becoming popular around the world. Touche.

Ambassadors of the sport. Huzzah.

[drudy23]

To me, it's more interesting to watch the dynamics of the best in the world together, both competing against each other, and playing together. That level of talent, doing what they do best, in one place, is unprecedented.

Can you imagine the trash talk in their pick up games....worth the price of admission just for that.

[Jumpy]

There was about 10 minutes worth of Dream Team stuff on Sports Center this weekend. Coach K said that Daly orchestrated the loss to the college kids. Chris Mullin said he just found that out. Magic said that Jordan led the front against Isiah. I'm looking forward to watching this.

I saw that over the weekend, as well. I thought it was interesting that Jordan and Pippin went balls to the wall to embarrass Tony Kukoc when they played the Croatian team. For those that didn't see it, they were mad that Pippin didn't get a contract over the off-season because the Bulls were holding money for Kukoc, who was their first round draft choice that year. The two of them decided to completely shut him down, embarrass him and make him wonder if he should even come to the states to play at all. They succeeded in all three- to the point where someone on the Dream Team (Magic?) admitted to feeling sorry for Tony.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

I was in Europe at the time and could really have cared less. I saw it more as a team of ringers sent over to dominate.

Europeans could have really cared less about them also at least the ones I was hanging out with didn't care much.

I really don't understand why we should really care. It's like celebrating the bully beating on the small kid in class. It might have grown the sport internationally but if you ask me I could do without Manu Ginobilli if it meant not having the "Dream Team".

[Jumpy]

Yeahhhh you're right. I'll bet that did contribute a lot to basketball becoming popular around the world. Touche.

Ambassadors of the sport. Huzzah.

It wasn't about being ambassadors of the sport, it was about shoving our collective American nuts in the faces of those countries who sent their "pros" to beat up on poor American college kids and then jump around the court like they owned the place. It was about proving to the world that they hadn't caught up to us, we were just toying with them by sending our amateurs to beat their pros time and again. So they got lucky a couple of times, but to have the audacity to believe they had passed us as a program? Nah baby nah.

[smileyy]

It might have grown the sport internationally but if you ask me I could do without Manu Ginobilli if it meant not having the "Dream Team".

IOW, "I don't like pro basketball." Ginobili is a joy to watch.

[smileyy]

I can tell the rest of the world is catching up with the US, because other countries' best players aren't playing in the Olympics and World Championships either, because of the detrimental effect on their pro careers.

[drudy23]

I was in Europe at the time and could really have cared less. I saw it more as a team of ringers sent over to dominate.

Europeans could have really cared less about them also at least the ones I was hanging out with didn't care much.

I really don't understand why we should really care. It's like celebrating the bully beating on the small kid in class. It might have grown the sport internationally but if you ask me I could do without Manu Ginobilli if it meant not having the "Dream Team".

It's not a documentary celebrating the fact that we won gold. It's more about the players, how they were selected, and their interaction with each other. Winning gold was an obvious inevitability. No one with a brain would make a documentary about that.

Again, to me, that's much more interesting given the collective talent and ego on the guys on the team than re-living them beating Angola by 80.

[smileyy]

A question I find interesting is "Is that the best basketball team that could ever have been assembled?" It can be hard to compare across eras, partly due to rule changes and styles of play that result for them.

Its probably cheating to say that the Dream Team probably would have been better a couple years before, and if they dropped Laettner. But what about other eras?

[ammtd34]

A question I find interesting is "Is that the best basketball team that could ever have been assembled?" It can be hard to compare across eras, partly due to rule changes and styles of play that result for them.

Its probably cheating to say that the Dream Team probably would have been better a couple years before, and if they dropped Laettner. But what about other eras?

If they took the best 12 this year - which they obviously can't - I think it could rival the original in terms of talent.

[smileyy]

PGs: CP3, Rose, Westbrook
Wings: LeBron, Durant, Iguodala, Harden?
Bigs: Howard, Chandler, Griffin, Garnett (2012 playoffs edition)

That's 11, which matches the original roster if you throw out Laettner, who was just a carryover from a previous way of looking at the world.

That's a pretty impressive roster, and unless I'm brain-farting, I think they're all eligible for the US team.

[joe titan]

A question I find interesting is "Is that the best basketball team that could ever have been assembled?" It can be hard to compare across eras, partly due to rule changes and styles of play that result for them.

Its probably cheating to say that the Dream Team probably would have been better a couple years before, and if they dropped Laettner. But what about other eras?

The 1960 US team, especially given were not pros, assembled as much talent as any in history.

[ChicagoX]

PGs: CP3, Rose, Westbrook
Wings: LeBron, Durant, Iguodala, Harden?
Bigs: Howard, Chandler, Griffin, Garnett (2012 playoffs edition)

That's 11, which matches the original roster if you throw out Laettner, who was just a carryover from a previous way of looking at the world.

That's a pretty impressive roster, and unless I'm brain-farting, I think they're all eligible for the US team.

What about Kobe and Carmelo?

[smileyy]

Kobe is old, but I wouldn't be opposed to picking Kobe over, say, Harden, but from a pure talent perspective I'll take Harden. OTOH, talent isn't everything when it comes to winning games.

That team doesn't need an offensive black hole or ball-stopper like Carmelo. In fact, one thing that the original Dream Team has in spades over this team is players with excellent court vision and passing, like Bird, Magic, Jordan, Pippen and Stockton had.

[drudy23]

PGs: CP3, Rose, Westbrook
Wings: LeBron, Durant, Iguodala, Harden?
Bigs: Howard, Chandler, Griffin, Garnett (2012 playoffs edition)

That's 11, which matches the original roster if you throw out Laettner, who was just a carryover from a previous way of looking at the world.

That's a pretty impressive roster, and unless I'm brain-farting, I think they're all eligible for the US team.

Impressive, sure. Anywhere near the collection of talent on the Dream Team....not even close.

[gladdenguy]

I saw that over the weekend, as well. I thought it was interesting that Jordan and Pippin went balls to the wall to embarrass Tony Kukoc when they played the Croatian team. For those that didn't see it, they were mad that Pippin didn't get a contract over the off-season because the Bulls were holding money for Kukoc, who was their first round draft choice that year. The two of them decided to completely shut him down, embarrass him and make him wonder if he should even come to the states to play at all. They succeeded in all three- to the point where someone on the Dream Team (Magic?) admitted to feeling sorry for Tony.

That doesn't surprise me. Jordan is a whiny little bitch. Fk him. Pippen is an ugly douchebag. Good for Magic if that is true.

[Jumpy]

That doesn't surprise me. Jordan is a whiny little bitch. Fk him. Pippen is an ugly douchebag. Good for Magic if that is true.

Yeah, the more stories I hear about Jordan, the more I think that he is the opposite of good people.

[Roach]

A question I find interesting is "Is that the best basketball team that could ever have been assembled?" It can be hard to compare across eras, partly due to rule changes and styles of play that result for them.

Its probably cheating to say that the Dream Team probably would have been better a couple years before, and if they dropped Laettner. But what about other eras?

The team could only have been better if Isiah Thomas and Dominique Wilkins had been on it, but at least with respect to Thomas, this may have prevented the team from being assembled at all ...

[gladdenguy]

Yeah, the more stories I hear about Jordan, the more I think that he is the opposite of good people.

Of course I am biased and hate the Yankees, Bulls in the 90s, Michael Jordan, Lebrick James, Tiger Woods, Albert Pujols, Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina basketball, and the entire SEC, so don't let that get in the way of my opinions. I hate sUCks and their fans more than anything or anyone but they don't deserve to be in the previous sentence because those aforementioned individuals and teams are good.

Actually I like Ohio St more than any of the above.

I had to get that out. Carry on with the thread.

[nuts4xu]

That team was better than anything the NBA could put together now.

It was the first time we allowed our pros to play in the Olympics, when most of the world had been playing for many years. At one time, our amateurs were good enough to dominate the rest of the world, but our pros set out to prove this country still is the best in the world.

I thought it was a great documentry and still think it is amazing to see the collection of Hall Of Famers that played on that team so well together. They even played with a guy who had AIDS for Pete's sake.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Good documentary. I don't know if I'm being biased...I acknowledge Jordan is the best...but I've never been a fan. But man, to me, everything out of his mouth is just arrogance beyond what I can comprehend. Could you imagine Jordan dealing with today's social media? He would get eaten alive and probably be the least popular player ever. At the same time, I think a lot of the greats have that in common. Competitive to the point of having a personality disorder. Magic seemed ultra competitive but it seemed he was able to keep it in check and be a good sport about it.

Guess I'll have to watch it again...my 8 year old is obsessed with basketball and his favorite book is about NBA legends. He will absolutely eat that documentary up...only problem is I'll have to fast forward the part where Coach K states that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny aren't real. (My 8 year old is starting to catch on...but I don't want to ruin it with him watching a documentary about the Dream Team). May also have to fast forward the part about Ewing, who never signs autographs, signed them for topless women in Monoco. It was funny....but I don't feel like having that conversation either.

[smileyy]

Bird had that same competitive disorder.

And you know what, Tu Holloway had it too.

[X-band '01]

Could you imagine Jordan dealing with today's social media? He would get eaten alive and probably be the least popular player ever.

Disagree. If he had the faucet mentality of LeBron James, he would have never made it past the Pistons in 1990-91. Much like Kobe Bryant, he would play his best when the deck was stacked against him.

[ammtd34]

Bird had that same competitive disorder.

And you know what, Tu Holloway had it too.

Chris Mullin was interviewed on Sunday and said that he went to the gym with Bird and Robinson on an off day in Barcelona. They played horse. Mullin had Bird down H-O-R-S to H-O. Bird tied it on the next two shots, then said it was time to go. They didn't finish the game.

All those guys had it. My favorite part of the documentary was about the trash talk during their scrimmage in Monaco.

[Titanxman04]

The best screen play writers in the world were the ones who wrote Space Jam. I find that it would be incredibly difficult to write a movie with MJ in it, and keep him from looking like an arrogant douche for an hour and a half.

[xu95]

I watched it last night. I liked it.

[GuyFawkes38]

Just amazing how Jordan managed to keep his impeccable image while he played. He was untouchable. Several articles were written about the truth (Jordan was a jerk with personal issues). But those always seemed to bounce off him.

[Kahns Krazy]

To me, it's more interesting to watch the dynamics of the best in the world together, both competing against each other, and playing together. That level of talent, doing what they do best, in one place, is unprecedented.

Can you imagine the trash talk in their pick up games....worth the price of admission just for that.

I hope they had a mandatory reflection session after the trash talk.

[ChicagoX]

Just amazing how Jordan managed to keep his impeccable image while he played. He was untouchable. Several articles were written about the truth (Jordan was a jerk with personal issues). But those always seemed to bounce off him.

You know the saying... "Winning cures all ills." And if there is one thing MJ knew how to do, it was win. All these games in the NBA Finals when Lebron goes out and shits down his leg in the 4th quarter are the exact same type of games where Jordan would have gone out and dropped 54 on a team.

The guy comes off as a total prick at times but he certainly backed it up. He AVERAGED 41 points per game in the 1993 NBA Finals. James went out out and scored 45 against the Celtics and everyone talked about how it was a masterful performance, but it was only four points more than what Jordan averaged in a six-game Finals series against Charles Barkley and the Suns. The man knew how to dominate, and he knew how to close by always coming through in the clutch. Like him or not, he is the best ever.

[Muskie]

I for whatever reason didn't have a problem with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin taking Toni K to the woodshed. Why not have your best player totally shut down the opposition's best player?

You're telling me they did it as a personal vendetta instead of for National Pride (USA USA). Color me shocked.

[gladdenguy]

I would rather be a real good player ala Bird or Magic and not be the best ever, than be Michael Jordan, who is a complete douche who is f$cked up while nobody really likes him, just liked and appreciated what he did on a basketball court. Eat a bag of dicks Mike.

[ammtd34]

I for whatever reason didn't have a problem with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin taking Toni K to the woodshed. Why not have your best player totally shut down the opposition's best player?

You're telling me they did it as a personal vendetta instead of for National Pride (USA USA). Color me shocked.

I thought that was awesome, especially when it talked about Jordan and Pippen fighting about who was going to guard him. The footage of Pippen's off the ball defense was great. Kukoc said it was hard to cross half court without the ball. Whenever he got the ball, he'd just pass it.

Welcome to America.

[joebba]

I watched it last night. The was one helluva team. I do not think they could put a better team together with the current NBA players. Laetner was the true oddball in that group. There may have been better players than Mullins at the time but he was a solid player. Any team with Magic and Bird would have to be great. The eighties and early 90's was a great era for NBA.

Dominique and Thomas were great. Worthy could have been good also. What about Rodman near his prime?

There is no way a dream team could dominate that way now because the rest of the wrold has really gotten better at bball.