Team USA Tournament: 2000 vs. 2004
Vince Carter in Dime #21This year marks the fifth time USA Basketball has put a team of NBA stars on the court for the Olympics. Since there’s no question that the original ‘92 Dream Team is the best unit ever assembled in any sport — not just basketball — the better question is, “Who’s the next-best U.S. squad?” From 1996 to 2000 to 2004 to 2008, we’re pitting the Team USA Olympic rosters against each other in a hypothetical one-and-done tournament. (See ’96 vs. ’08)
We’re going international rules for this tourney, and remember to consider each player as they were at the time (rosters and ages posted after the jump). Our second matchup is 2000 versus 2004, the gold-medal winning team from the Sydney Games against the bronze-medal squad from Athens. Tell us who you think will win in the comments section:
2000 U.S. Olympic Team
Jason Kidd (PG, 27)
Gary Payton (PG, 32)
Vince Carter (SG, 23)
Kevin Garnett (PF, 25)
Alonzo Mourning (C, 30)
Allan Houston (SG, 29)
Vin Baker (PF, 28)
Ray Allen (SG, 25)
Tim Hardaway (PG, 33)
Antonio McDyess (PF, 25)
Shareef Abdur-Rahim (PF, 23)
Steve Smith (SG, 31)
COACH: Rudy Tomjanovich
2004 U.S. Olympic Team
Stephon Marbury (PG, 27)
Allen Iverson (SG, 29)
Richard Jefferson (SF, 24)
Lamar Odom (PF, 24)
Tim Duncan (C, 28)
LeBron James (SG, 19)
Carmelo Anthony (SF, 20)
Dwyane Wade (SG, 22)
Shawn Marion (SF, 26)
Amare Stoudemire (PF, 21)
Carlos Boozer (PF, 22)
Emeka Okafor (C, 21)
COACH: Larry Brown
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July 2nd, 2008 at 1:33 pm
shake&bake says:
These look like the 2 worst out of the 5. I don’t want to take either.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
doc says:
200 team just because the 04 team stunk with Larry coaching.Bron and them aint even get no burn over bum ass jefferson.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
hahns says:
two words: Fredrick Weiss
2k wins easy
jkidd, vc, ray allen, mcdyess, reef all in their prime. then you got kg mourning holdin down the paint, and we all know 2k4 had no shooting.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
DaPro says:
Dam I see two throwback names-Vin Baker and Shareef
Two of the better second tier stars the league had a few years ago
Both of them scored without being the most athletic players around
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:44 pm
rangerjohn says:
only reason i take 2000, those young guys where knuckleheads! (along with AI)
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Jim says:
The ’04 team was so young, they would be better now with that crew. But that’s not what’s going on, so I’m going with ’00 and their Gold. Also, the PG match up is ugly.
Both teams aren’t too deep, though. Too bad Duncan was hurt in ’00, or the refs could have fouled him out in 12 minutes then, too.
Also, seeing how young these dudes were on both teams makes me feel old…23 y.o. Shareef.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
D says:
VC dunk / leapfrogs every defender they put on him.
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
miamiVIS3 says:
2000
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:12 pm
sunni says:
i agree with post1
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
benjamin says:
By looking on the names of the 2004 rooster I may think that its the superior team, but as we all know it isnt always about star power and quantity but also the importance of a real tight and good team.
Lets take it like this:
2000=winners
2004=dissapointment
MY CHOICE: 2000
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
JA says:
Wow. The 04 team didn’t even have a single legitimate 3-point threat on the entire roster.
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Detroit Dave says:
2000 will win easily. They had the top 2 best shooters in the world. (Ray Allen and Allan Houston) plus Steve Smith and Tim Hardaway.. This cats would be knocking down 3′s all day. Also they had the 2 best poing guards in the league. (Payton and Kidd) <— they both had lock down defense.
KG, Mourning and a healthy McDysse would rebound and be too much for Duncan.
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Prof. TX says:
Dime,
How about throwing the starting five from the team addidas commercials into the mix against other squads’ starters?
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Bank says:
Prof TX how about no?
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:51 pm
willy beamin says:
‘oo had much better outside shooting, it’s not even close.. they also had actual point guards. In terms of bigs, ’00 team had established post scorers and Zo in his DPoY hey-day. ’04 bigs are better now than any of the ’00 bigs, but at the time very ineffective.
’00 team should have handled the comp better than they did. They were surprised at the increased athleticism and offensive execution of international teams. Remember, that was when guys like Peja and Dirk were rising and Arvydas was still hanging around in the L. After that, the international flavor really reached a peak. The ’04 team was put together sort of arrogantly like “Whatever, we still have better athletes, that’s enough”
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Data says:
Am I the only one that forgot Vin Baker played in the league. When i saw that name i was like damn i forgot about dude. 2000 wins easy. VC was on a mission and not many players are better than a MOTIVATED VC motivated being the key word.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Celts Fan, "Kobe, Tell me how my @$$ tastes" says:
These are the worst of the 5, but 2000 copped gold, 2004 took home bronze. 2000, no question.
Let’s also not forget, this was pissed off Vince. His brother (or cousin, someone he was close to) just got sent to jail and Vince was chippy the whole tournament and ready to PUNISH whoever got in his way. Sorry Frederick…
(btw, should Nets fans maybe start framing Vince’s relatives? It may actually get him to wake up for a game or 2 this year.)
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Celts Fan, "Kobe, Tell me how my @$$ tastes" says:
@JA (post 11) looked again and you’re right man. That’s put together HORRIBLY. Glad it seems like we learned our lesson and are bringing some shooters this year.
and I didn’t forget about Vin & Tonic. No real Celtics fan could! When we traded for him (already a diagnosed alchi, still making the max) that was the absolute lowest we ever went. If that was the equivalent of something that happens to you in the real world, it’s the point where you start to wonder things like, “I wonder how many pills is too many,” or, “If I die of alcohol poisoning, that’s not technically suicide, right?” Not good times.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Dave says:
2000 to win
2004 was awful and Larry Brown had a lot to do with that. Two bad point guards (AI, Steph) leading the show too. Duncan wasn’t getting enough help in the paint either. The talent on the wings were all young and lacked polish to their games. The 2004 team was there for the taking.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Data says:
@Celts fan
I also forgot that vin was draining more bottles than he was buckets… what a forgetable career.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Celts Fan, "Kobe, Tell me how my @$$ tastes" says:
it’s just a shame Data. He was with booze what Shawn Kemp was with coke and fertile women. Both had Hall of Fame talent but blew it for some fun. I’m just glad both are still doing alright, but what a shame…
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
HBooyah says:
That ’04 team was horrible. No true point guards. No shooters. And Larry couldn’t figure out how to teach his team how to play against a zone. Duncan was completely outmatched by guys who couldn’t even make the League, and meanwhile, Lebron sat on the bench . . .
2000 wins due to superior guard pay, shooting, and HOPS. All I can see is KG just completely flipping out after Carter posterized Weiss.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:56 pm
hahns says:
the thing that stands out to me about team 2k4 is the avg age is ridiculously low….usa was sending children out against the world.
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:58 pm
hahns says:
also, looking back at LO in the finals…you cant expect that guy to be that effective in the olympics.
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Big V says:
Without harping on the outcome of both of those years, I’m gonna go with 2004 in a close one. Outside of VC, where’s the athleticism from 2000? 2004′s got AI, RJ, Amare, Marion, Wade, LBJ, even Marbury……I don’t see the legs holding up for the “vets”. Yeah, they’re probably a better inside outside team, but I don’t think they can handle the youth and athleticism that ’04 would bring to ‘em.
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Jim says:
Also, does anyone else remember the infamous Vin Baker-Chris Webber incident? Apparently Webber was pissed that he was left of the 2000 team, and that Fall he just KILLED Baker and the whole game he was saying “Where’s my Gold?” and supposedly Baker then cried.
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Jim says:
But Big V, where was Greece’s athleticism? That 2004 team had no real distributor and couldn’t shoot.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:21 pm
sans says:
Vince would jump over 7 footers at this point in his career. 2000 wins because 2004 wouldn’t play Lebron or Melo at all. And Steph was the only point guard they brought for that sguad? Damn…what hurts Larry Brown more, the bronze or the Knicks?
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Dagomar says:
Aside from Duncan, the 2004 team is way, way too young. The 2000 team is better considering the ages, although aside from the strength at point that team is loaded with superfluous players as well. But with Brown coaching, the 2004 team doesn’t have much of a chance in this matchup.
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Big V says:
Greece didn’t have any either, but the thing is, Greece was a true unit. None of the squads we send over there really are. In this matchup, I’m sticking with 04.
July 2nd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
drewstar says:
2000 > 2004.
overall.. 1996 > 1992 (yes in terms of where each team was at with players in or past their prime, 96 had more in-form players than 92 where many of the players like magic and bird were nearing retirement) > 2008 > 2000 > 2004.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Luigi says:
If u saw the ’04 team play. LBJ MELO n WADE were ALL benchwarmers. n plus all the players were young n inexperienced.
go wit the ’00 tm. when VC could Dunk. Glove. Kidd n Zo were still in there primes [kinda]
2 GREAT shooters wit A-town n Ray and when Antonio Mcdyess used to be a 90 rated player in NBA Live
so 2000 wins. dat team iz SIIIIIck
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:16 pm
BmoreRvensFan says:
2000 team because of the pg. Both teams are relatively weak compared to the others, but 2000 did win the gold, and i dont think starbury and AI could manage 5 assists combined at that time.
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Austin Burton says:
@Jim (#26) — That led to an incident at KeyArena where Webber and Baker both got ejected from a game, and on their way back to the locker room Webber allegedly broke free from his “escorts” and took off running toward the Sonics’ locker room, looking for Baker.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:04 am
Ding Dong We Got Danilo Gallinari? says:
Celt’s Fan @17
Vince’s cousin is in jail. Its called the Houston Rockets.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:17 am
cdre says:
he is cool, I was surprise to see his profile on a famous dating site ” tallkiss. com”, he is so hot there, even many hot model want to date with him.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:51 am
OU says:
VC is the best. No other words.
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:04 am
karan says:
2000
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
matthew says:
2000
July 4th, 2008 at 4:06 am
kulas says:
2000