Michael Jordan memo to Kobe Bryant:

[QUOTE=RaininTwos]It can't be both ways. You guys cant paint the picture of Westbrook being a me first, shoot everything, drive no matter what PG and then turn around and say that he'll be afraid of D-Rob and Ewing. This is basketball and he's an athletic freak, he isn't afraid of any big man. They will alter some shots but lets be real, they will also foul, get caught in between two guys with no help and maybe even embarrassed.

Westbrook has never been timid or not aggressive. His decision making is suspect at times, but that's about it. He will find people and can destroy a defense with his penetration.[/QUOTE]
Oh I like Russell Westbrook as a player. I haven't bought into the me-first assumptions about him I always see going around. Debating on that front would be a separate matter to me. I think he's a killer and when his jump shot was falling, we all saw how ugly it could get for his opponents.

However, I also feel the entire '92 Dream Team was comprised of killers, with David Robinson and Patrick Ewing as two historically awesome defensive killers. I don't think Westbrook would have been scared. I'm just saying my belief is he would not have carved up the paint as effectively as we saw in his Finals performance against the Heat. I'm saying yes, blocks happen, scores happen, facials happen, charges happen, and fouls happen, but a flat out disturbance of flow and the manner with which a player is able to attack (or not attack) is not to be underestimated. And I feel an international team playing under international rules featuring prime version of David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, and Michael Jordan would likely have an adverse effect on Westbrook's attacking skills, regardless of how fearless he'd be. It'd certainly not be as simple as Westbrook just walking past his perimeter defender, getting a run up deep into the lane, hitting a late recovering David Robinson in the chest then drawing a foul or scoring.

[QUOTE=TheNaturalWR]Am I the only one who believes that the Redeem Team > 12' Team? The comparison should be Redeem Team vs Dream Team.[/QUOTE]

No, and I'm pretty sure there's been Redeem Team vs. Dream Team debates on here before, and I thought the 2008 team was better than this team, too. Now, if 2012 had a healthy Wade, Howard, and Rose in place of Harden, Griffin, and Iggy, I'd take the 2012 team. But, as is, it's Redeem Team all the way.

And besides, the 1996 team may have been better than both '08 and '12.

[QUOTE=KG215]While some of your match-ups aren't as close or closer than you think, these two stuck out the most.

Nice even match-up between Griffin and Ewing? Really? Prime Patrick Ewing and second year Blake Griffin is a nice even match-up? Just because they have similar stats doesn't make it an even match-up. This particular hypothetical match-up is one of the easiest ones on your list to say "hands down advantage to the '92 team."

And past his prime on his way out of the league Magic makes you "no comment" when compared to prime CP3, but 35 year old, back injured so bad he can barely walk and barely play Larry Bird, is actually a "good match-up" compared to prime LeBron? On what planet?[/QUOTE]

Man I was thinking of if all were healthy, hell they saying Blake is injured now...LOL

Y'all don't seem to look at the intangibles...with the exception of Durant, Chandler, and Bron...these folks can't even find the basket 50% of the time...

Athleticism isn't going to get you anywhere...

These players were so much smarter back then, they played better team ball, and unselfish...and DEFENSE..which is a terminology that seems the have fallen by the wayside.

Settling for all those 3point shots, when you can shoot over 40%, you aren't going to even hurt the 92 dream team.

Several "horrible" shooters....Bryant, Williams, Anthony....these guys shoot a very low percentage. Add Robinson/Ewing into the mix clogging up that middle thats only going to make that number go down!

You have to make baskets...and those players that played back then, with the exception of Pippen/Drexler...they ALL shot a high percentage!

[QUOTE=Heavincent]And was still one of the best players in the league.[/QUOTE]

Even if that's true, he's still [I]clearly[/I] past his physical prime so it's odd that he would mention guys like Magic and Bird being past their athletic peaks. This version of Kobe gets absolutely harassed by a 29 year old prime Jordan.

can't discuss basketball with dudes who are born in early 90's. seriously.

40 year old MJ was top 5-6 SG in 2003 while shooting better .445% which is an unbelievable for a guy with 1 good knee.

and i laugh at how some of you try to disrespect some of dream team players.

stockton? let's not act like he was bob cousey running around short shorts with 1 hand dribbles. stockton was a nasty little dude. a perfect floor general with a brain.

magic? he has plenty of toys to work with, so he doesn't have to be all that athletic. there is no stopping his perfectly placed no look bounce pass even if magic was 40. and go watch the 1992 dream team footage. magic was in shape, and he looked great. let's not act like he was a walking zombie because he wasn't.

laettner? well he won't play much if not at all. but in his rookie season he avg 18.2/8.7/2.8/1.3 blocks. that's not bad. that was actually his best season. he peaked too early. he would hold his own against blake/love. but again, he won't be seeing any playing time.

clyde? how do we forget how great clyde was? i mean are you guys serious? some of you talk like clyde is some sort of a scrub. clyde was filthy dude. he was an mvp contender.

mullin? mullin would be dream team's version of ray ray/rip hamilton. you need a guy who can stroke the ball. he will certainly kill you if you leave him open. to me mullin is an x-factor. 12 team doesn't have designated shooter.
instead of having guys like iggy, 12 team needed a lethal shooter.

bird? yes he is old and etc. first he won't play much for sure. he would be limited to about 15-20 min at most. but when he is on the court his charisma, brain will take over. you can't teach top 2 basketball IQ of all time.


and barkley is dead wrong. kobe wouldn't make this 92 dream team. he is too old. why would you pick 34 year old a really awful diet coke version of MJ, when you already have prime MJ himself? there is no point picking kobe because he would just be a cancer, like isiah thomas.

durant is also debatable. drexler is better defender, and much better rebounder. durant hasn't entered his prime yet, and we've just witnessed that he isn't ready for the big stage yet. durant is better scorer than clyde, but 92 team already has the greatest scorer of all time. drexler brings better overall versatility.

only bron is worth a spot in 1992.

[QUOTE=KG215]He has a huge edge on the offensive end, too.[/QUOTE]

I'm sure too, but I was point out obvious...but that was probably the closest matchup on paper....that could even exist...because Blake/Chandler definitely not coming close to DRobinson

[QUOTE=eliteballer]Because he had Bynum and Gasol clogging the paint.

Kobe didnt say the 92 team wasn't athletic, [B]he said some of the key guys were a little older[/B].[/QUOTE]



So who other than Magic and Bird were as old as Kobe?

[QUOTE=KG215]

And besides, the 1996 team may have been better than both '08 and '12.[/QUOTE]


As I said in my post:

92 > 96 > 08 > 12

Look at the 1996 roster (this team had it all):

Centers: Shaq, Olajuwon and Robinson (who's stopping that?)
PF's: Malone and Barkley (all time great PF's)
SF's Pippen and Hill (great unselfish playmakers)
SG's: Reggie Miller and Mitch Richmond (shooters who won't ballhog)
PG's: Payton / Penny / Stockton (a defensive monster, a great around athlete and a prototype PG).

Too many people slept on Stockton, because they didn't start really seeing him until the Jazz made the finals when he was in his late 30's...

:lol

That man has taken Michael Jordan to the hole several times, and his steals numbers gives you a nice idea of how good his defense really was when he was not slowed, and exposed by players like Gary Payton.....

[QUOTE=tontoz]So who other than Magic and Bird were as old as Kobe?[/QUOTE]

No one.....

these are exact but...really I see that team as being very well seasoned....

Magic, Bird 12 years
Robinson, 3 years
Stockton, Drexler, Jordan, Barkley 7 years
Malone, Ewing, Mullin 6 years
Pippen 5 years


How old is the 2012 team????

By the way, with Lebron/Kobe/Melo/Durant/Harden/Westbrook all on the same team and with no great offensive big man, I see this as a supercharged version of the current Heat and Thunder as far as playing style goes where they have those problems where they play one on one way too much doing that "your turn, my turn" and the others are standing around (which isn't as much of a problem when they are the most talented teams in the league, but not when they go up against a team like the Dream Team.) Dream Team are much more balanced.

[QUOTE=Lebron23][B]He's the biggest Kobe D1ckrider in this forum.[/B] A 29 yrs.old Jordan will abuse 34 yrs.old Kobe.[/QUOTE]

pot, kettle
kettle, pot

[QUOTE=Callystarr]I'm sure too, but I was point out obvious...but that was probably the closest matchup on paper....that could even exist...because Blake/Chandler definitely not coming close to DRobinson[/QUOTE]

I'm still not sure that's the closest match-up on paper. 1992 prime Ewing was pretty close to even with D-Rob. Both would shit all over 2012 Blake Griffin on both ends of the floor.

I'm trying to think, and probably the closest match-up on paper would be Durant vs. Mullin because that was prime Mullin vs. 23 year old Durant just entering his prime.

Funny thing is Magic Johnson in 1992 was younger than Kobe in 2012. He wasn't past prime really at all. In 1991 he put up 19/12 and led his team to the Finals. I'm pretty sure the HIV was in his system at the time as well, so you can't say him having the virus would make him worse in 1992. The only reason he stopped playing was for safety and fear from the league, and not because of a decline in play.


Bird is the only one you can say was past prime because of his back.

[QUOTE=lakers_forever]I seriously laugh at people who act like Magic was finished. He led the Lakers to the NBA finals the year before the olympics, while averaging 19.4 points, 12.5 assists, and 7.0 rebounds per game (he did not become a scrub in one year because of HIV). Even a fat Magic, years without playing pro ball, averaged 14.6, 5.7 and 6.9 in 96.

Magic Johnson in 91 (he became crap one year later? nah) was a better point guard than Chris Paul ever was.

And Larry Bird, even with a broken back, was still a great player. He averaged 20.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 6.8 apg in the 92 season (with 46% fg, 40%3 and 92%ft). I'd take that broken Bird over guys like Anthony, Iguodala and Harden.[/QUOTE]

Magic was forced to retire after that 91' season so actually he was one full season removed from the game prior to the 92 Olympics which could have thrown his game off a tad, but only a tad. But I agree with everything you stated about him, spot on.

As for Bird, he was still a magical player in his own right but he lost a lot with his ailing back. He was able to play through it at times during the season because Bird was a competitor and tough as nails. But taking a broken Bird over those guys? IDK man...... (2seconds later) yeah, I probably would too but if only just for one season.

Shame both their careers prematurely ended the way they did.