Draymond Green: Dream Team Made “Big Mistake” Of Excluding NBA Legend & It’s Not Isiah Thomas

32 years ago, a star filled roster comprising Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson etc went into the Olympics and reportedly created a significant benchmark that international players used as a benchmark to reach. Now, with the 2024 Paris Olympics currently ongoing, another star-filled Team USA group is making waves by having secured a 3-0 record and established their position in the Quarter-Finals. With a lineup comprising players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, etc, the current roster is drawing comparisons with the 1992 team, with the basketball world being quick in taking sides. For Golden State Warriors Draymond Green, his choice is not one from which he will deter that easily.

In a segment of his long-running podcast published earlier today, the four-time NBA champion, with a 2016 Rio Olympics gold medal around his neck, proceeded to discuss the current Olympic roster. Despite possessing a good knowledge of the legends that made up the 1992 Team USA, Green stated that he would pick the current roster over them “seven days a week.” Having competed against the veterans on the 2024 team, and having played alongside one of them (Stephen Curry) for over 12 years, the player was quick to assess that his pick would beat Michael Jordan and co in five of the seven games. However, Green may have gone in a different direction if Team USA had sent another player instead of Christian Lattmer. And no, it isn’t Isiah Thomas, whose exclusion created some major waves back then.

“If the Dream Team has Shaq on it, and not Christian Laettner, maybe a different story” Green admitted. “Because the versatility that Shaq would bring to that team, it’s just a different thing that you have to deal with it, but we know Shaq was not on the Dream Team, which I think was a big mistake. But nonetheless, it is what it is, and I’ve got the 2024 team winning easy.”

Before transitioning to the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal and Christian Laettner had developed an on-court rivalry right from their college days. While the future four-time NBA champion would make waves during his three-year stint at LSU, Laettner lead the team over at Duke University to two NCAA championship wins. This record, along with the absence of any college championship wins from Shaq’s side, may have what caused Team USA to pick Laettner over him. While the young player’s minutes were limited, being on the same roster as three of the greatest NBA athletes of all time greatly elevated his status. Now, looking at how Laettner and O’Neal’s careers turned out to be, the three-decade old decision now feels to have been made somewhat hastily.

Getting rejected from the 1992 Dream Team was amongst the first big blows of Shaq’s professional career. During the 2012 NBA Finals, the ‘Big Aristotle’ admitted to being upset over the snub, stating “I was p***ed off. I was jealous.” At the same time, however, he admitted to having understood why Laettner was chosen over him by adding “I had to come to the realization that I was a more explosive, more powerful player, but Christian Laettner was a little bit more fundamentally sound than I was. Plus, he stayed all four years and graduated. I just think it helped me grow as a player.”

Whether the snub was a turning point or not, but Shaq would make use of his next 19 years to establish an NBA career filled with achievements and records that players aspire to accomplishing even today. Furthermore, he would earn his own Olympic Gold Medal later on at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Shaq’s exclusion often gets overshadowed with that of Isiah Thomas, who was one of Michael Jordan’s most prominent rivals on the NBA court during the 90s. For Draymond Green, the absence of the future Lakers star does not allow him to consider the 1992 Team USA roster as the GOAT. As it turns out, this is a belief that Shaq himself holds on to.

Similarly to Draymond Green, Shaquille O’Neal does not consider the 1992 ‘Dream Team’ to be the best

Back in April, Shaquille O’Neal brought the 1992 ‘Dream Team’ back to the limelight. However, the same occurred after the player proceeded to downvote them in favor of ‘Dream Team II’ aka the 1994 Team USA roster that won Gold at the 1994 FIBA World Cup. After all, not only was this the player’s first stint on the international stage, he also emerged as the MVP of the tournament by the end of it.

“I remember when we were here and Europe was here, but now it’s, the gap is really, really close” said Shaq during a segment on his podcast. “Dream Team 2 could have beat Dream Team 1. 94 is Dream Team 2.”

Shaq’s remarks were not the only instance of him ‘belittling’ the Michael Jordan-Larry Bird-Magic Johnson roster. Weeks later, a post by the Bleacher Report celebrating the 1992 team’s anniversary caught his attention. Replying to the same, he proceeded to write “There still the second-best team, and yea I said it.”

Either Shaquille O’Neal may be still allegedly sour over his rejection, or he genuinely believes that the ‘Dream Team’ is overhyped. If the 2024 roster emerges successful at the Paris Olympics, then the former player may have some opinion to share on their standing with the 1992 team.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.