A lot has been made about this year’s Olympic basketball team. In this post, I will not be comparing the opposition (which is much stiffer today with NBA players littered across the field).
There have been questions asked as to whether this might be the most talented Olympic team since the Dream Team, if not ever. I will rank the accomplishments of some of the best Olympic teams of all time (1992, 1996, 2008, 2012 and 2024) and project accomplishments for the current group going forward (MVP, All Star selections and All NBA selections).
Summary of MVP Awards
1992 Team Total MVP Awards: 15 (Michael Jordan: 5, Magic Johnson: 3, Larry Bird: 3, Charles Barkley: 1, Karl Malone: 2, David Robinson: 1)
1996 Team Total MVP Awards: 6 (Charles Barkley: 1, Karl Malone: 2, Hakeem Olajuwon: 1, Shaquille O’Neal: 1, David Robinson: 1)
2008 Team Total MVP Awards: 5 (Kobe Bryant: 1, LeBron James: 4)
2012 Team Total MVP Awards: 6 (LeBron James: 4, Kobe Bryant: 1, Kevin Durant: 1)
2024 Team Total MVP Awards: 8 (LeBron James: 4, Stephen Curry: 2, Kevin Durant: 1, Joel Embiid: 1)
Summary of Total All-Star Selections
1992 Team Total All-Star Appearances: 118
1996 Team Total All-Star Appearances: 100
2008 Team Total All-Star Appearances: 107
2012 Team Total All-Star Appearances: 109
2024 Team Total All-Star Appearances: 73 (with Kawhi. The number is 68 with Derrick White)
Full All-NBA Summary
1992 Team Total All-NBA Selections: 100
1996 Team Total All-NBA Selections: 104
2008 Team Total All-NBA Selections: 75
2012 Team Total All-NBA Selections: 83
2024 Team Total All-NBA Selections: 55 (50 with Derrick White)
Projecting forward for the 2024 team, you can optimistically add another 5 all star berths for Haliburton, Edwards, Booker, Anthony Davis, Tatum and Bam Adebayo. Add a couple each for LeBron, Steph, Embiid and KD and that brings you to a total of 111 all star selections (having counted Kawhi. Adding White instead, that number would be 106).
You can also imagine that one of Tatum or Edwards has a shot at an MVP trophy in their career.
I think this is a conservative projection, but you’re free to disagree. Safe to say, across their total careers (with optimistic projections), this Olympic team has a chance to rival the original Dream Team in terms of accomplishments.
I would put this team up there with the best because this is (except for a player or two) the best the US has to offer right now. But to compare it the original Dream team, you would have to add Jokic, Giannis, SGA and Luka to this team which is just absurd.