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In your view which team is greater

GoldenageGoldenage Posts: 3,278 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited March 28, 2022 5:15AM in Sports Talk

Can only choose one. No one is going to say anyone is right or wrong. It’s just a matter of opinion. That’s all.

Is the USA basketball dream team with 11 HOFs who destroyed the competition greater than the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team who was a bunch of college kids who went out and beat grown men ? Or was the hockey team the better “team” ?

I’ve always felt the greatest teams are the ones who have overcome the greatest odds, or had the least amount of talent and won championships.

Where do you stand ?

Comments

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 11,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 28, 2022 5:44AM

    I think you could possibly call the 1980 hockey team the greatest underdog of all time, but certainly not the greatest hockey team of all time. I am sure there have been hundreds of pro teams that could have beaten them.

    the 92 dream team was the greatest collection of talent ever. if they had a year or two to practice like an NBA team, they would probably never have been beaten.

    George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.

  • thisistheshowthisistheshow Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Greatest "team"? The basketball team. Greatest accomplishment? The hockey team.

  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 30,638 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @thisistheshow said:
    Greatest "team"? The basketball team. Greatest accomplishment? The hockey team.

    My thoughts exactly. The Dream team was supposed to win, the miracle team was not

  • GoldenageGoldenage Posts: 3,278 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @craig44 said:
    I think you could possibly call the 1980 hockey team the greatest underdog of all time, but certainly not the greatest hockey team of all time. I am sure there have been hundreds of pro teams that could have beaten them.

    the 92 dream team was the greatest collection of talent ever. if they had a year or two to practice like an NBA team, they would probably never have been beaten.

    For the record, an unpracticed dream team faced an unpracticed college team and lost.

  • TabeTabe Posts: 6,061 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Despite winning the gold, the 1980 hockey team wasn't the best team in that tournament. Probably not even 2nd best. But that doesn't matter. They won, that's all that matters.

    The 1992 Dream Team was clearly the better team over the 1980 hockey team.

    The real question is whether the 1996 Dream Team was better than the 1992. 1996 didn't have any wasted spots (Laettner) and no injured guys (Stockton, Bird) or retired guys (Magic). 1992 had Jordan though...

  • craig44craig44 Posts: 11,244 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Goldenage said:

    @craig44 said:
    I think you could possibly call the 1980 hockey team the greatest underdog of all time, but certainly not the greatest hockey team of all time. I am sure there have been hundreds of pro teams that could have beaten them.

    the 92 dream team was the greatest collection of talent ever. if they had a year or two to practice like an NBA team, they would probably never have been beaten.

    For the record, an unpracticed dream team faced an unpracticed college team and lost.

    sort of...

    to be fair, Chuck Daly wanted the dream team to lose that game. he hardly played jordan and even coach K said afterwards said that Daly "threw the game" so the dream teamers knew they could lose a game.

    the same 2 teams played the next day and the dream team creamed the college guys.

    George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.

  • GoldenageGoldenage Posts: 3,278 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @craig44 said:

    @Goldenage said:

    @craig44 said:
    I think you could possibly call the 1980 hockey team the greatest underdog of all time, but certainly not the greatest hockey team of all time. I am sure there have been hundreds of pro teams that could have beaten them.

    the 92 dream team was the greatest collection of talent ever. if they had a year or two to practice like an NBA team, they would probably never have been beaten.

    For the record, an unpracticed dream team faced an unpracticed college team and lost.

    sort of...

    to be fair, Chuck Daly wanted the dream team to lose that game. he hardly played jordan and even coach K said afterwards said that Daly "threw the game" so the dream teamers knew they could lose a game.

    the same 2 teams played the next day and the dream team creamed the college guys.

    Sort of. MJ saw playing time, and did Daly tell his team to take it easy ? No he didn’t. They lost fair and square. Did Daly strap 10 pound weights to their ankles ? They lost fair and square and MJ got playing time.

  • 1951WheatiesPremium1951WheatiesPremium Posts: 6,363 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Goldenage said:

    @craig44 said:

    @Goldenage said:

    @craig44 said:
    I think you could possibly call the 1980 hockey team the greatest underdog of all time, but certainly not the greatest hockey team of all time. I am sure there have been hundreds of pro teams that could have beaten them.

    the 92 dream team was the greatest collection of talent ever. if they had a year or two to practice like an NBA team, they would probably never have been beaten.

    For the record, an unpracticed dream team faced an unpracticed college team and lost.

    sort of...

    to be fair, Chuck Daly wanted the dream team to lose that game. he hardly played jordan and even coach K said afterwards said that Daly "threw the game" so the dream teamers knew they could lose a game.

    the same 2 teams played the next day and the dream team creamed the college guys.

    Sort of. MJ saw playing time, and did Daly tell his team to take it easy ? No he didn’t. They lost fair and square. Did Daly strap 10 pound weights to their ankles ? They lost fair and square and MJ got playing time.

    To be fair, the ‘game’ lasted 20 minutes and was really more of a scrimmage. The USA Select Team, as it was called, could have added 4-5 players and would also have won gold in Barcelona, featuring all future (really good/All Star) NBA players who were essentially 19-22 year old pros already:

    Bobby Hurley
    Penny Hardaway
    Allan Houston
    Grant Hill
    Jamal Mashburn
    Rodney Rodgers
    Chris Webber
    Eric Montross

    Realistically, that game would have had another 20 minute half of basketball. I give tremendous credit to the Select team for going out there and playing with these guys but let’s be fair, also.

    Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?

    https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest

  • Mickey71Mickey71 Posts: 4,252 ✭✭✭✭

    @Goldenage said:

    @craig44 said:
    I think you could possibly call the 1980 hockey team the greatest underdog of all time, but certainly not the greatest hockey team of all time. I am sure there have been hundreds of pro teams that could have beaten them.

    the 92 dream team was the greatest collection of talent ever. if they had a year or two to practice like an NBA team, they would probably never have been beaten.

    For the record, an unpracticed dream team faced an unpracticed college team and lost.

    Not entirely true. The game was fixed. Chuck Daly and his assistants set the whole thing up. They wanted to have the Dream Team feel adversity and it worked. They had the refs call phantom fouls, made substitutions at all the wrong times etc....they basically (coaching staff) accomplished their goal that day.

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