“They learned from us, we didn’t learn from them” – Michael Jordan dropped an epic response to Kobe Bryant for his comments on the 1992 Dream Team

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Michael Jordan reminded Kobe Bryant that it was the 1992 Dream Team that set the high bar in the Olympics.

Kobe Bryant was someone who would send out impulsive responses when asked certain questions. One of them was a cocky response when asked how the 2012 Dream Team would have fared against the original 1992 Dream Team.

Bryant felt that the 2012 team had what it took to bring down the 1992 Dream Team. One of the reasons he hinted was that some players were at the end of their careers. Michael Jordan responded to it, and included a strong reminder in the end.

“I’d like to think that we had 11 Hall of Famers on that team and whenever they get 11 Hall of Famers you call and ask me who had the better Dream Team. Remember now, they learned from us. We didn’t learn from them,” the six-time NBA champion quipped via UPI.

In the 1992 United States Men’s National Basketball Team, the seniors were Larry Bird (35), Magic Johnson (32), Clyde Drexler (30) and John Stockton (30). However, the key players that stood out on that team were Charles Barkley, Jordan, Karl Malone, and Chris Mullin.

Barkley fires back at Kobe

Like MJ, Barkley also caught those comments and unsurprisingly fired back at the Black Mamba. Focusing on the age issue, Chuck pointed out something glaring.

“How old is Kobe Bryant, 36? He’s 34? And he’s calling us old? At the time, we were only like 28, 29. Michael Jordan and me were the same age. We were both 29,” Barkley stressed.

Beyond the age factor, Bryant did mentioned that the 1992 Dream Team had the size advantage with David Robinson and Patrick Ewing manning the slot. Bryant’s 1992 team only had one legitimate center in Tyson Chandler.

The composition of the two teams varied because of the conditions in their respective eras. When the 1992 Dream Team played, most countries were not prepared. Further, the popularity of that first all-pro team left most players in Barcelona starstruck.

The 2012 Dream Team, on the other hand, was considered a continuation of the 2008 “Redeem Team.” This was after the Americans shockingly settled for the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Bryant and company were brought together to keep the momentum going. Among his teammates were Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony. It was a must for Team USA because other countries were fielding vastly improved basketball teams.

With an emphasis on small-ball basketball, coach Mike Krzyzewski sacrificed height so that the team could play fast-paced basketball. That ploy worked as Team USA won the gold, defeating opponents by an average of 32 points.

Bird: 2012 Dream Team ‘probably could’

With different conditions, situations and team compositions, it would be hard to say if the 2012 Dream Team could defeat the 1992 Team USA squad. Bird, the oldest player on the original Dream Team, did not discount the chances of Kobe and the rest.

Larry Legend shared his take on the debate in the safest way possible. He hardly delved into it but believed the 2012 team “probably could.”

There is no question that if all players from both teams were in their prime, a match between the two teams would be surreal. But rather than delve into it, it may be best for Team USA to focus on other countries. The 2004 Olympics is proof of that and the results from succeeding tournaments show the world is fast catching up.