After a surprising domination and despite losing some of the best players in the world, Team USA destroyed its opponents and never won by less than 20 points to win the 2014 World Cup. And this was the same tournament where some people viewed Spain as the favorite. They deserve their gold medals.
But how does this team stack up with every US team since 1992, the birth of the Dream Team?
Glossary
Rating: Adjusted point differential scale to a 12 team tournament. For reference, a point differential of 0 is an “average” team and 10 would be a contender (in the NBA, a point differential of 10 not found outside of the Jordan Bulls.) Because FIBA tournaments have featured 16 or 24 teams, point differentials are inflated. Thus, I’ve used a simple adjustment based on how the best teams do in each tournament to translate results (the top five or six teams will be the same, theoretically, in the Olympics and the World Cup, so they’re the Rosetta stone.)
All-NBA: I’ve included the number of all-NBA seasons in the two adjacent seasons giving 5 points for a 1st team, 3 for a 2nd, and 1 for a 3rd. For example, LeBron James alone gives you 10 in the 2012 Olympics because he made the 1st all-NBA team in 2012 and 2013.
Players: All players are ordered by minutes with the exception of 1992 and 1996, whose players are sorted by total points.
2004: Nightmare Team
Rating: 5.9
Medal: Bronze
The disastrous showing in 2002 was partly written off because Americans didn’t care about non-Olympic events and our best stars didn’t show up. 2004 proved it was no fluke. The dual meanings are apt too, as it was an embarrassing nightmare for American basketball fans to fail on such a big stage and the “dream” of professional players dominating turned into a nightmare. Duncan was supposed to be the savior, but referees were harsh on him: he averaged 3.8 fouls a game in a competition where 5 fouls is the limit. He was even quoted as saying, “FIBA sucks.” And the Americans had no outside shooting, which is, to put it nicely, a poor choice — their best outside shooter may have been Marion or Carmelo. They were actually last in three-pointers per game, behind even a nation like Angola. They still valiantly fought for bronze against a strong Lithuania team, but this was the worst professional US team and it included perhaps their worst defeat ever: a 19 point loss to a middling Puerto Rico team. To add insult to injury, Puerto Rico is a territory of the US and has nearly a hundredth of the population. It led to a lot of talk about the state of affairs of US basketball and its culture, including this piece by Bill Simmons on how to fix them. Team USA may have cribbed his notes because most of his suggestions were executed: Michael Redd, Brad Miller, Tayshaun Prince, Odom, and Battier, as well as the strategy of focusing more on passing and shooting and emphasizing chemistry.
All-NBA: 25 (points)
Players: Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Stephon Marbury, Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion, Richard Jefferson, Dwyane Wade, Carlos Boozer, LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Emeka Okafor.
1998: The Dirty Dozen
Rating: 10.7
Medal: Bronze
Due to a lockout, the US was unable to send its NBA players and dialed things back to the pre-1992 era and used a collection of college players and non-NBA professionals. It was still a strong team and it provides another criticism of the 2004 team, who were bested by a squad of inferior players. They lost by only two points to Russia, the silver medalists. On a positive note, the tournament helped Brad Miller garner attention as an undrafted free agent to gain enough attention to sign with a pro team where he had a fine career including an two all-star appearances. Receiving a medal at all was a great accomplishment because it wasn’t just that NBA players couldn’t be used; it was that any relevant American player was hard to come by because agents urged anyone not to participate because of the lockout and some feared they’d look like scabs. It was a ragtag group of young kids and former college stars who could never make the NBA.
All-NBA: 0
Players: Jimmy Oliver, Wendell Alexis, Jason Sasser, Jimmy King, Steve Hawkins, Kiwane Garris, Gerald King, Brad Miller, David Wood, Ashraf Amaya, Williams Edwards, Trajan Langdon.
2006: The Dawn Team
Rating: 16.0
Medal: Bronze
Named for the proverb “darkest before the dawn,” as we’re exiting the worst era of USA basketball and entering a golden age. There have really been only two “poor” US teams; we’ve already reached the point where every team from here on out is at least a strong contender with plenty of blowouts. On the path to redemption, there was one more defeat, and it provided a key learning experience for the players and personnel. Coach Krzyzewski infamously referred to Greek players by their numbers or short abbreviations and may have been a bit unfamiliar with them. This disrespect led to a defeat at the hands of a superb Greek team led by Diamantidis, a European MVP who refused to play in the NBA; Spanoulis, who did play in the NBA; Fotsis; and “Baby Shaq” Schortsanitis, who killed the small US team inside. But it was still a strong team overall, beating the “golden generation” Argentina team for a medal by 15. Yet Spain actually had a slightly higher rating — with Pau in his prime, they were one of the best non-US teams ever. Since then, Coach K has put more effort into scouting and knowing his opponents, and has yet to lose.
All-NBA: 21
Players: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Kirk Hinrich, Joe Johnson, Elton Brand, Shane Battier, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Antawn Jamison, Brad Miller.
2002: The Reamed Team
Rating: 19.0
Medal: None (sixth)
This was the inciting incident to the team we know today. With “B-level” talent and a lackadaisical attitude toward a tournament few Americans cared deeply about, they lost twice and failed to even medal. But the signs were there, the cracks beginning to show: this was the beginning of the international boom in the NBA like young stars Pau Gasol and Dirk and the tandem of Peja and Divac in Sacramento, and the 2000 “dream” team beat Lithuania by only two points. But they actually weren’t terrible. They beat a tough Argentina team, the silver medalist, before the elimination round and blew out a few opponents. But they drew Yugoslavia (actually only Serbia and Montenegro, as the other countries broke up years earlier) in the first round due to poor FIBA seeding — the US and Yugoslavia rated as the two best teams by a fair amount — and lost by a mere three points. Then they lost to Spain, also one of the best teams, by six points in the classification round for sixth place. But again, they weren’t terrible, and by adjusted point differential they were the strongest team of the tournament by a hair. It was just shocking at the time, and it happened on US soil in the basketball heartland, Indiana.
All-NBA: 6
Players: Michael Finley, Paul Pierce, Andre Miller, Ben Wallace, Baron Davis, Antonio Davis, Jermaine O’Neal, Elton Brand, Shawn Marion, Reggie Miller, Raef LaFrentz, Jason Williams.
2010: The B Team
Rating: 19.4
Medal: Gold
After the superstars came out for the 2008 Olympic team, Coach K had the leftovers the following tournament. They were dubbed the “B Team,” one of the youngest squads ever. (B Teams do legitimately exist in FIBA, as teams that have already qualified will usually send their B teams comprised of non-core players to non-World Cup/Olympics tournaments instead.) Thankfully, the young kids were nearly all on the verge of breakout seasons. Durant led the way as the tournament MVP and this was Rose before his NBA MVP season. They played small with Odom at center or sometimes Love, focusing on speed, quickness, and shooting. Surprisingly, their rating is nearly equal to the sixth-place team in 2002, but there are a couple reasons for this. First, the B Team wasn’t perfect with a narrow two-point victory over Brazil. Secondly, it was a 24 team tournament, inflating the perceived power of every strong team. The Olympics typically has 12 teams — there’s less “chaff.” For instance, the B Team was fortunate to draw Angola in the first round. Regardless, they won the gold and were clearly the tournament’s best team. Calling them the “B Team” was supposed to be an insult, but they played through the criticism.
All-NBA: 18
Players: Kevin Durant, Chauncey Billups, Derrick Rose, Lamar Odom, Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala, Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay, Stephen Curry, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, Danny Granger.
2000: Dream Team IV: the Dunk of Death
Rating: 24.1
Medal: Gold
Other than Vince Carter’s dunk over Weis, this is the most forgotten “Dream Team.” The team is usually unnamed or sometimes titled Dream Team III, and referred here as a dream team in an article presciently stating the US is not invincible, so I slapped an awkward moniker for an awkward team during an era in transition. (Worn-out Hollywood sequels often use a colon in the title, and the dunk of death is the fastest way to identify them.) They were unequivocally the best team that year, but it was the first time the NBA-ified US team looked mortal. Lithuania nearly upset them in the semifinals. Legend Jasikevicius missed a three-pointer at the buzzer for the win, and the US advanced by a slim margin of two points. It wasn’t a fluke either because they faced each other in group play too, and the US only won by 9. The dream was basically over for the US and they’d have to work hard to dominate teams like they once had.
All-NBA: 32
Players: Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Alonzo Mourning, Ray Allen, Steve Smith, Antonio McDyess, Allan Houston, Vin Baker, Tim Hardaway, Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
2014: The C Team
Rating: 26.3
Medal: Gold
Marred by a gruesome injury to Paul George and several stars dropping out, critics, and I was among them, were worried about the strength of the team. Surprisingly, most of the team was comprised of non all-stars, discounting rusty Rose, and the inclusion of Plumlee over more talented players, including big men like Millsap, seemed a bit odd. But the coaching staff got a group of young guys, mostly known as poor defenders save for Klay and Davis, to play high-pressure defense, causing turnovers and smothering less athletic teams. Even with all the criticism, the team was a vast improvement over the “nightmare” teams because they had plenty of shooting and adapted to their opponents, fixing mistakes. The most pleasant surprise was Faried, who used his leaping ability and zeal for rebounds to destroy teams: even if the US missed a shot, they were likely to rebound their own miss. I don’t have access to their full team stats, but given the number of their missed shots and free throws they rebounded 40% of their misses. For context, the league average in 2014 was 25.5% in the NBA and the unofficial record is 37.5%, and Faried by himself was near a Rodman-esque 20%. It was an onslaught impossible to stop, and they were only tested for parts of a game, not an entire one.
All-NBA: 8* (Only uses one season: 2014)
Players: Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, James Harden, Kenneth Faried, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Derrick Rose, Rudy Gay, DeMarcus Cousins, DeMar DeRozan, Mason Plumlee, Andre Drummond.
2008: Redeem Team
Rating: 28.4
Medal: Gold
With stronger international competition, the stars came out to fight for redemption and reclaim the gold for the US. The roster was intelligently constructed too with two pass-first point guards, outside shooting, and guys to fill specific roles, like Kobe Bryant taking on the challenge of being one of their perimeter stoppers. Bringing Kobe and Kidd back to the Olympic team was a sign that the US was taking the tournament seriously. Veterans previously had declined to participate, and Kobe gave them a spirited effort on the court, diving onto the court at one point during a qualifying tournament in 2007. The team played so well some argued they’d have a chance against the original Dream Team, and given their strong rating, a 28, and the tougher competition, it’s not a silly notion. They weren’t tested until Spain in the gold medal game, and even then the US put away Spain with a couple minutes to go and won by double digits.
All-NBA: 48
Players: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Carlos Boozer.
2012: Regime Team
Rating: 30.1
Medal: Gold
Surprisingly, this rates as the better Coach K team — though they do hold a record in Olympic play with an 83 point win over Nigeria. Back in 2012, I looked at rhymes and thought about calling them the “Regime Team.” Apparently, Jack McCallum, who wrote a book on the Dream Team, had the same thought. The name works because it’s the (current) peak of Coach K’s reign of basketball superiority and comes in the middle of a long winning streak. They had LeBron at the top of his game, fresh off a title and an MVP, along with a stock of other stars like Durant, Carmelo, Kobe, Westbrook, and Love. They often played with no big men with LeBron or Carmelo as the “center,” making them virtually impossible to defend. However, let’s not forget our humility: although this was arguably the best post-2000 team, they could only beat Lithuania by 5 points and won the gold medal game against Spain by a slim 7 points in what was one of the greatest Olympic/FIBA games ever.
All-NBA: 55
Players: Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, LeBron James, Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala, Tyson Chandler, James Harden, Anthony Davis.
1996: Dream Team III
Rating: 32.0
Medal: Gold
Given the competition the US faced a couple decades later, the “Regime Team” is probably better, but by adjusted point differential this dream team in Atlanta rates as the third best since 1992. It’s not a highly regarded team and it’s sometimes dismissed, but they were still stacked with star-power. Every player except for Grant Hill, not yet eligible, and Penny Hardaway, whose career was decimated by injuries, is in the Hall of Fame. Like the recent gold medal winners, they won every game by at least 20 points and were hardly tested. This was revenge for David Robinson, who won bronze in 1988 because the US team lost to the Soviet Union with Sabonis. With the Soviet Union dismantled, the US beat one of its former pieces — Lithuania with Sabonis worn down by time and injuries — by 22 points. (For an odd bit of trivia, Lithuanian Rimas Kurtinaitis, who led the Soviet Union to a victory in 1988 with 28 points, is the only non-NBA player to have participated in the three-point contest.) For a quick proof of how powerful the team was, they had both David Robinson and Shaq in their primes, and brought Olajuwon off the bench as a third-string center — that’s a bit better than, say, Miles Plumlee.
All-NBA: 63
Players: David Robinson, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Mitch Richmond, Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Karl Malone, Grant Hill, Gary Payton, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton.
1994: Dream Team II
Rating: 38.3
Medal: Gold
We’re going in descending Dream Team order, and that might appear like an upset to some. But the 1994 team destroyed people — the 2014 US team pales in comparison. They won three games by more than 50 points. However, like most FIBA USA teams, the cast was less impressive, filled with borderline stars like Majerle, Larry Johnson, Coleman, and Steve Smith. Their best players were a 22 year-old Shaq, a 34 year-old Dominique Wilkins, and Reggie Miller, who didn’t even make the all-star team the season before (although excluding him in favor of BJ Armstrong was, quite simply, stupid.) They were also brash and bullied their opponents, a dark horse of the pro-teams. Like the 2014 C team, they were on a collision course with a powerhouse — Croatia with Toni Kukoc — but the Croatians were upset and the Americans cruised to a gold medal. And, just like the 2014 team, in retrospect this was a pretty decent blueprint for FIBA: three-point shooting surrounding athletic big men that international teams aren’t prepared for. The US shot 46% from behind the shorter arc — no surprise with amazing shooters like Miller, Price, Majerle, Smith, and Dumars. Shaq, who came off the bench, was unimpeded, while Kemp and Alonzo dunked everything they could, and hard. All three big men shot 70% on two-pointers. They were the anti-Dream Team, the darkside to the amiable legends who spread basketball around the globe — Dream Team I arrived like a gift across the world; Dream Team II came to pillage and conquer.
All-NBA: 16
Players: Reggie Miller, Kevin Johnson, Mark Price, Dan Majerle, Joe Dumars, Shaquille O’Neal, J. Wilkins, Shawn Kemp, Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Derrick Coleman, Steve Smith.
1992: Dream Team I
Rating: 44.0
Medal: Gold
The first incarnation of the Dream Team was indeed the strongest based on its play. A rating of 44 is preposterous — this is off the scales. They won every game by at least 30 points, and with the exception of the college kid Laettner every player is in the Hall of Fame. This team will likely not be replicated because since it was the first time NBA players were allowed to participate, you could net old superstars like Bird and Magic Johnson, who would were not worn out from previous summer tournaments. We all know why this team was special, so let’s end with a couple quotes from global ambassador Barkley:
On Angola:
I don’t know much about Angola, but I know one thing: they’re in a lot of trouble.
After the game:
Somebody hits me, I’m going to hit him back. Even if it does look like he hasn’t eaten in a couple weeks. I thought he was going to pull a spear on me.
On the goal of playing against Panama in the Tournament of the Americas (qualifying tournament):
To get the canal back.
All-NBA: 60
Players: Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Christian Laettner, John Stockton.
