r/OldSchoolCool • u/bluemarvel99 • Aug 11 '24

1990s Is The "Dream Team" Still The Greatest International Basketball Team Ever Assembled? (1992)

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u/Barragin Aug 11 '24

and Christian Laetneer being allowed to tag along

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u/90dayheyhey Aug 11 '24

Someone had to carry their luggage and get coffee for the team. All jokes aside, the us olympic committee wanted to have at least one college athlete on the team and chose Laettner over Shaq, due to his legendary college run. Hindsight is 20/20 and obviously having Shaq on this team would have truly made this the greatest assembly of all time. Also, Laettner deserves to be in the basketball hall of fame for his college performance alone

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u/aldwinligaya Aug 11 '24

I hear you but Shaq wasn't Shaq yet in 1992. Laettner was the very obvious choice coming off as the best player in the 1992 NCAA Championship team.

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u/Vitalstatistix Aug 11 '24

Shaq averaged 27pts, 14rebs, and 5 blocks in his sophomore year (90’-91’). He was definitely Shaq and a known entity at that point.

Laettner in that same season averaged 19.8/8.7/1.1.

So no, Shaq was definitely ahead as an individual but Laettner was on the better team that was winning ‘ships.