The 2024 USA men’s basketball team is already being compared to the legendary 1992 Dream Team.
But current USA head coach Steve Kerr might have exaggerated when he recently claimed that all 12 of his players heading to Paris for the Summer Olympics will make the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the future.
“I’m guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday,” Kerr said. “So how do you pick five out of 12?”
That was Kerr’s answer to a question about which factors will influence his final decision for a starting five at the Olympics.
Maybe having to deal with an often erratic Draymond Green since 2012 has fried Kerr’s basketball brain.
The Golden State Warriors leader — who holds a stunning nine NBA championships as a coach and player — is clearly one of the best minds in the sport.
But while LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis are locks for roundball immortality in Springfield, Massachusetts, a few players are holding Kerr’s bold words back.
Is Devin Booker a future Hall of Famer?
He hasn’t won an NBA championship yet and has only made All-NBA first team one time.
Anthony Edwards is the next big thing in The Association, so it’s easy to envision Ant-Man taking big leap after big leap, and becoming one of the premier athletes in the league into the next decade.
The untouchable Dream Team from 1992 featured Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone.
No offense to the 2024 crew, but the ’92 legends are running the court if time travel existed.
Nine words perfectly describe the overwhelming power of the Dream Team.
“The greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet,” the Hall of Fame said upon induction.
Eleven players and three coaches eventually entered the Hall on an individual basis.
“When the Dream Team arrived in Barcelona, Spain, the entire world watched as the Americans crushed the opposition,” the Hall of Fame said.
“One by one, foreign states crumbled. … Games were blowouts early as opponents seemed content just to share the court with basketball’s royal family. The Dream Team cruised to the gold medal, winning games by an average margin of almost 44 points.”
Christian Laettner was the only weak link on the Dream Team, while Isiah Thomas was left on the roster partly due to a feud with Jordan.
In 2024, Kerr has a superstar-loaded team.
Jayson Tatum recently won the NBA Finals leading the Boston Celtics, while Joel Embiid is one of the best players on the planet when healthy.
But Hall of Fame predictions are currently wobbly when it comes to Jrue Holiday, Tyrese Haliburton and Bam Adebayo.
Holiday is underrated, a strong defender and was a key piece in Boston’s championship trophy pursuit.
But he’s only made two All-Star teams and has never been an elite player.
Haliburton has clear upside and is coming off a career year, but has never averaged more than 20.7 points.
Adebayo is a do-everything, three-time All-Star, but few would attach “Hall of Fame” to the Miami Heat forward seven years into his career.
Kerr was right to compare the Dream Team to his 2024 squad, and the biggest names on both are all-time greats.
But when it comes to fully clearing the bar at the Hall of Fame, the 2024 crew should focus on winning gold in Paris, instead of 12 spots in Springfield.
“Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit,” Kerr said. “And to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who’s playing.”
Team USA opens its Paris Olympics run on July 28 against Serbia.
James, Curry and Kerr are set for two exhibition games at the 02 in London on July 20 and 22.