1996, 2000 and 2008 men’s olympic basktball teams

 I’d go with 1996, look at the frontcourt alone – Shaq, Mailman and Robinson.

 I’d go with 1996, You have half the original dream team plus young stars like Grant Hill, Penny and Shaq.

I’d go with David Robinson, Shaq, and Karl Malone in their primes down low over the wing athleticism of the 2008 team.

I’d go with 1996.

Young Shaq. Still primish Pippen, Payton, Robinson, Malone and Miller. Plus a Hill and Penny *before* their injuries.

 2008, their athleticism would kill. game has evolved, lebron is malone size.

This is FIBA rules though, right?

This would be interesting… Gary Payton had just come off of probably defending Michael Jordan the toughest anybody ever did in the NBA Finals. I have no doubt he could make things difficult for any guard on the 2008 team’s roster.

And LeBron can be neutralized somewhat with FIBA rules because he’s not a great shooter. Pippen would do a solid job I think.

2008 wasn’t really a half-court offensive team. They scored most by pressuring the ball, creating turnovers and getting out in transition. I don’t think 1996 would be phased by the pressure.

Shaq, Robinson, and Malone would demolish Dwight, Bosh, and Boozer. And the wings on 2008 team might be better, but the 96 team has some premier preimeter defenders that could lock down Wade and Lebron would not be effective under FIBA rules for the same reason you guys said, and the bigs would be too much, the deal breaker for me is Pippen and Payton’s defense, I don’t think it’d be very close.

Shaq, Penny, and Grant Hill in their primes? 0_o

Is there a reason nobody has mentioned Hakeem Olajuwon being on the 96 Dream Team?

I think it would be close between 1996 and 2008. 2008 has an advantage on the wings with Wade and Kobe over Reggie Miller and Mitch Richmond, and Lebron having a slight edge on Pippin and Hill. However if I could have anybody guard Lebron it would be Pippin in his prime. 1996 has a slight advantage when it come to PGs, Stockton was still playing at an All-NBA level and was a better floor general than anyone on the 2008 team and Payton is the best defensive PG I’ve ever seen. Down low it isn’t even close; a young Shaq, Robinson still in his prime and Hakeem still at an All-NBA level at center and Malone and Barkley at PF.

Grant Hill was coming off of a season in which he averaged 20, 10 and 7.

People forget how good that guy was.

2008 then 1996 then way far down the line was 2000

1996 and 2008 would be a great game. But I have to agree with most everybody the 96 team would win 97-88.

The 2000 team wouldn’t stand a chance against either. Lithuania and Sarunas Jasikevicious(an epic game from this guy) missed a buzzer beater to win the game in 2000. I don’t think they would have beaten a skilled Spanish team that challenged the 08 team in the gold medal game, either.

Grant Hill often guards the opposition’s best players at nearly 40 years old so he could have been put on LeBron when he was 23 years old.

I think that Olympics final was the first basketball game I watched in my life. USA outplayed my Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). The game was tied till 30-32 minut and then our centers was fouled out and after that USA destroyed us. At the end it was 95-69.

That USA team is much better then team from 2008.

Yugoslavia also had really good team. Vlade Divac, Aleksandar Djordjevic, Predrag Danilovic, Zarko Paspalj, Dejan Bodiroga. IDK if you know these guys except Divac, but they were legendary European players

One of the top non-USA teams ever was the 1992 Croatia team, with Toni Kukoc and Drazen Petrovic. These guys played very well and even had a lead against the Dream Team(with Magic,MJ, and Bird). They were up 35-32 or something like that. They just happen to be on the floor against the greatest team ever assembled but the 92 Croatia team deserves some props, maybe the best silver medal team ever.