Michael Jordan once said, “I played hard every day in practice, so playing hard in a game was just a habit.” Adopting this ideology not only allowed ‘His Airness’ to secure immeasurable success in the NBA, but on the international stage as well. While the 1992 Dream Team is known for the star-filled roster that went on to secure the Gold after missing it in 1988, the roster would later gain attention for their intense training sessions. One particular scrimmage in Monte Carlo made such an impression on Jordan that he called it the “greatest game I’ve ever played in.” Thirty-two years later, Team USA harnessed the intensity of those sessions to strengthen their performance and bond.

On August 29, ‘The Shop’ podcast released their pre-recorded interview with LeBron James that took place during the Paris Olympics. LeBron discussed the practice sessions as “competitive” and “pushing each other.” He also instantly drew a comparison between the ‘Dream Team’ and his ‘Avengers.’

“You seen any, like, the footages from like the 92’ Dream Team when they was in Barcelona, or in Monaco, like going at it? That’s exactly how ours have been,” said LeBron. It was not all pain and tiredness, however, as the player continued “You know, obviously as the games are going got you know more and more closer to each other now, we just like it’s all about fine tuning, just sharpening each other’s swords every day.”

The Team USA roster of 1992 had some legendary NBA players. It included Michael Jordan, Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, Celtics great Larry Bird, and Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. As a result of all the talent, the practice sessions got intense. Charles Barkley said: “It was a battle of egos,” with players figuratively attempting to “kill each other every day.” The greatest game that Michael Jordan ever played in took place even before the Olympics. As part of a final practice session before heading to Barcelona, then head coach Chuck Daly organized a 5 vs 5 matchup. To equal things out, he put Jordan on one team, and Johnson in the other. With nine future Hall of Famers competing head on, no one expected things to go easy. When Johnson remarked that “we’re not in Chicago Stadium anymore,” Jordan reportedly “took it personally.” The game ensured Team USA was already battle-hardened before competing against other national teams.

LeBron said that while their sessions saw rivalries, they ultimately brought the players closer. From Kevin Durant helping Anthony Edwards with his three-pointers to Steph and Durant talking about volleyball on the sidelines, all NBA rivalry seemed to vanish.

LeBron James and Co. kept the legacy of the 1992 Team alive not just through the practice sessions, but also following the precedent of not staying in the Olympic village, and setting a perfect 6-0 record. As a result, without it being the intention, discussions were quick to come up to compare which team was the most superior.

Did Paul Pierce claim that LeBron James and 2024 Team USA Squad would crush Michael Jordan’s Dream Team?

Even before Team USA could reach the finals at the Paris Olympics, former Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce went viral over his belief. During an appearance on Skip Bayless’s ‘Undisputed’ show, the 2008 NBA champion outright stated that the 2024 squad would easily dominate Michael Jordan and co! To provide his reasoning, Pierce not only took a dig at ‘His Airness’ himself, but also the two top veterans on the squad.

“Larry Bird couldn’t play no more; he was done. Magic was done, pretty much. Who was their best player, Michael Jordan? He wasn’t even the best player in the Olympics. The best player was Charles Barkley” said the former player. Later on, however, Pierce did not choose to spare even Barkley, as he added “Who’s gonna guard LeBron? Charles Barkley? Who’s gonna guard Steph Curry? John Stockton?”

Believe it or not, but Pierce’s comments actually held some merit. While Michael Jordan averaged over 14.9 points at Barcelona, Charles Barkley took the lead by averaging 18. Furthermore, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson could not even take their average scoring above 10 points, despite playing more minutes than Karl Malone (13 ppg). By the time LeBron James and co ended their gold medal run, however, even the Lakers star wasn’t the highest average scorer from his team. Furthermore, at 14.2 points, LeBron’s average was almost on par with that of Jordan, while Stephen Curry could not go as high as Barkley with his 14.8 ppg.

The 1992 Team USA or the 2024: Which would be your pick when making a comparison? Let us know in the comments down below.

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