LeBron James Backs Kobe Bryant, Says Current Team USA Would Beat Dream Team

by Jonathan Gault on Sat, Jul 28, 2012 at 11:08AM

LeBron James has become the latest member of Team USA to declare that this year's Olympic basketball squad would defeat the 1992 Dream Team if the teams met in a game.

The NBA's regular season and Finals MVP joined teammate Kobe Bryant in saying that the 2012 squad would pull it out over the gold medal-winning team from 20 years ago.

"The '92 Dream Team paved the way for all of us," James told ABC News Nightline anchor Cynthia McFadden in an interview before the Olympics. "We understand what they did for our game."

"We are also are big-time competitors as well, so if we got the opportunity to play them in a game, we feel like we would win, too. As a competitor, you never want to say that you will lose, no matter who you are going against."

James' confidence isn't quite on the same level as Bryant's — who claimed the players of Team USA should be stripped of their citizenship if they fail to win gold in London — but his comments still sent a message.

So far, most of the declarations in the 1992 vs. 2012 debate have been pretty predictable, with Dream Teamers like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan backing the 1992 squad and today's players, like James and Bryant, backing the 2012 version. The only notable exception is Larry Bird, who said the current team would win because the 1992 team "is all old now."

The Olympic basketball tournament is set to begin Sunday, with Team USA squaring off with Russia in its opening game.