Basketball (Olympic)

The United States men's basketball team will get a much-needed opportunity to jell when they play Iran in their second game in the 2021 Olympics. 

Team USA got off to the worst start imaginable, stumbling down the stretch and losing to a France team that will now be the favorite to win Group A. But the team of NBA players didn't go to Tokyo to win their group, they went to win gold. 

That's still in play. They will be big favorites against Iran and in the following game against the Czech Republic. 

While this game isn't likely to be competitive, it will still provide an important opportunity for the Olympic team to figure some things out and get on the same page before the competition once again ramps up. 

Let's take a look at the particulars of the broadcast and how to watch before diving into the matchup. 

       

Olympic Men's Basketball

Who: United States vs. Iran

When: Wednesday, July 28 at 12:40 a.m. ET

Where: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com and Peacock

TV: Re-air on NBC Wednesday afternoon; re-air on NBC Sports Network in primetime

     

Preview and Predictions

Simply put, Iran isn't France. 

When it comes to FIBA Asia competitions, Iran is among the top teams. The country has won multiple championships in its FIBA zone and qualified for the Olympics, but it hasn't won a game in the Olympics since 1948. 

The roster doesn't feature one NBA player and finished 23rd in the 2019 World Cup. 

The one area that could be interesting to watch is that Iran does have some size in the frontcourt. The United States struggled when France went with their jumbo lineup featuring Rudy Gobert and Vincent Poirier. 

The Iranian's do have a former NBA center in 7'2" Hamed Haddadi. The big man posted 15 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to the Czech Republic. He's obviously not Gobert, who is an elite interior defender, but he's a weapon that Iran will surely use. 

For the Americans, this game isn't just about winning, it's about settling in. Star point guard Damian Lillard expressed the team's need to let the game come to them more. 

"We all just, I think, just trying too hard…instead of just being who we are—the best players in the NBA," Lillard said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. "Shots just didn't fall. We had opportunities down the stretch, just didn't make them."

Vardon also noted their could be some discontent from the players on the American team:

"The players are frustrated, too, grumbling on their way back to the locker room about 'running the San Antonio offense' when apparently they feel like there are better ideas."

Popovich has had to build on the fly. A few players who were coming in from the NBA Finals didn't arrive in Tokyo until the middle of the night before playing in the morning. 

One of those players, Jrue Holiday, ended up being a top performer for the Red, White and Blue. He led the team in scoring with 18 points and snagged seven rebounds. 

The Spurs head coach is certainly one of the best minds in the game. However, the Olympic team has struggled under his watch. They lost two of the three friendlies they played in preparation for Tokyo and have now lost their opener to France. 

They shot just 36.2 percent from the field in the loss. The players could very well have a point when it comes to the offensive concepts they are running. After all, this is a team with Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Zach LaVine, Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker. 

Popovich might be wise to try some things against an outmanned Iran squad as the United States is running out of time for a gold medal run to materialize. 

Prediction: Team USA 87, Iran 52

The women's teams will take center stage on Day 3 of the Olympic Basketball tournament at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo. 

Some heavy favorites will be in action including the United States, which will have its first matchup of the Games against Nigeria.

The United States women's team has captured six consecutive Olympic gold medals and figures to be the favorite for a seventh in Japan. It is -1100 (bet $1100 to win $100) to win the tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

But the U.S. men's shock loss to France shows that international competition isn't always easy to predict. Australia has the next best odds (+1500) and will also be in action on Tuesday. It's also worth noting it is coming off a win over Team USA in a preparation exhibition. 

Here's a look at the complete schedule for the day and a preview of the key matchups. 

         

Day 3 Olympic Basketball Schedule

Monday, July 26

Men's: Japan vs. Spain (-18), 8 a.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: Japan vs. France (-9), 9 p.m. ET, NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: USA (-30) vs. Nigeria, 12:40 a.m. ET, USA, NBCOlympics.com

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

The first look at the United States women's team headlines the day. It gets the opportunity to ease into pool play with the Nigerian team on tap. Nigeria already carries a No. 17 FIBA ranking, but it wasn't helped when a pair of WNBA players were denied the opportunity to play. 

Nneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams both previously played for Team USA. However, when they didn't make the Olympic roster for the Stars and Stripes, they attempted to petition to play for Nigeria. 

Their appeal was denied by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, leaving the Nigerian team short of two potential stars for their squad. 

The American team is again loaded with talent and familiar faces. Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are gunning for their fifth Olympic gold medal. They made their debuts at the Games in 2004 when they were teammates with current U.S. head coach Dawn Staley. 

The coach is happy with the leadership she is seeing from the veterans, noting Taurasi specifically:

"She just raises the level of our practice, our ability to make great basketball decisions—passing, shooting the basketball, just her whole morale," Staley said, per Mechelle Voepel of ESPN. "She is high energy and just takes our practice to another level."

After the United States men's loss to France in pool play, Spain has to feel good about its chances of making a run at gold. That spells bad news for the Japanese team. 

Spain figures to be among the elite teams in this tournament. With Marc and Paul Gasol, Juancho and Willy Hernangomez and a host of other former and current NBA talents such as Ricky Rubio, they have one of the deepest talent pools to work with. 

Japan, meanwhile, went 0-5 in the FIBA Asia tournament that saw Iran earn a berth with a 2-3 record. It will lean heavily on Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura.

The host nation's women's side has a much better chance in its opening game against the French. France carries a No. 5 ranking from FIBA, but Japan isn't that far behind at No. 10. 

The team did pick up a prep win against Belgium and plays with intensity and energy. That should only be compounded by the fact that it is the home team and winning this game will determine whether it even has a shot to get out of the group phase. 

It's in a difficult group, with Team USA virtually guaranteed a quarterfinals spot and France coming in as the favorite to get the second. 

But if the three-pointers start going in and Japan can force some early turnovers, things could get interesting. 

           

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The men's and women's Olympic basketball tournaments continue early Monday morning with pool-play action from Saitama Super Arena.

With roughly half of the teams kicking off Sunday, we will see the rest of the teams in action in Tokyo a day later. The Olympic debut of Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic for Slovenia headlines the action. Doncic will lead his team against Argentina, a strong presence on the international scene in recent years.

The United States will have the day off, but there's a slate of four games, including the inaugural game for host nation Japan in both brackets. Men's Group C favorite Spain will be the formidable foe for the host, while the women will meet France.

Here's a look at the schedule and pertinent broadcast info, as well as a look at some of the major storylines to watch.

                               

Day 2 Olympic Basketball Schedule—Monday, July 26

Men's: Argentina vs. Slovenia (-5.5), 12:40 a.m. ET CNBC, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: Serbia (-2.5) vs. Canada, 4:20 a.m. ET NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Men's: Japan vs. Spain (-19.5), 8 a.m. ET NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com

Women's: Japan vs. France (-9), 9 p.m. ET

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

                    

Doncic's debut will be the game to watch on the men's side. Not only is it Slovenia's star player's first foray into the Olympics, but it's also the first time the country has qualified for the Games since seceding from Yugoslavia in the early '90s.

As one might expect, Doncic had a lot to do with that qualification. He averaged 21.3 points, 11.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds in the qualifying tournament and consistently set up a squad that shot the ball well from the three-point line.

Their first game will carry big implications in Group C. Spain is the favorite to win, but the other spot in the group of four will be up for grabs, with Slovenia and Argentina battling it out against Japan.

Argentina is the most recent nation outside of the United States to win the gold medal, taking the honors in 2004. This team obviously looks quite a bit different from that one, but it still could be a threat. Argentina is light on NBA talent but carries a No. 4 FIBA world ranking and is led by Luis Scola and the Denver Nuggets' Facundo Campazzo.

Japan will take on a deep and talented Spain team that features both Marc and Pau Gasol, Juancho and Willy Hernangomez, as well as Ricky Rubio and several former NBA talents.

Spain won the 2019 FIBA World Cup, a tournament in which the U.S. didn't even medal.

🇪🇸 basketball icon @paugasol is looking to close his legendary career in the best way possible at #Tokyo2020.

Do you consider @BaloncestoESP a title contender at Gasol's fifth Olympics? 🥇 pic.twitter.com/8aI80YQvsj

— FIBA Basketball (@FIBA) July 22, 2021

Japan, which is in the tournament by virtue of being the host nation, will have a tall task competing with Spain. It went 0-5 in the FIBA World Cup, through which Iran earned its berth in Tokyo. The host is led by Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, who was chosen as a flag-bearer for Japan.

In women's action, Serbia and Canada will meet in pool play. Serbia does not have much WNBA talent on the roster, but it's a dedicated national team that has spent more time together as a result.

Canada will be led by a trio of WNBA players in Kia Nurse, Bridget Carleton and Natalie Achonwa, and its roster boasts plenty of Olympic experience. But those experiences have often led to disappointment, as Canada's best finish remains fourth in the 1984 Games.

Late Monday night, Japan's women will host France. The latter have been a consistent factor in the medal picture on the international stage of late, earning a silver in the 2012 Olympics and coming up just short of the podium with a fourth-place finish in Rio in 2016.

Japan has an up-tempo style and will be sure to play with a lot of energy in the role of home team, so it wouldn't be shocking to see an upset in its first game.

                             

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USA Basketball will seek a fourth consecutive gold medal at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. The Americans have succeeded in winning the tournament in every Olympics since 2004, when they were relegated to bronze under the watch of Larry Brown.

This year, the team will be under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich after Mike Krzyzewski guided the teams in the last three Olympics.

The 2021 roster looks quite a bit different than the team that competed five years ago. Kevin Durant will once again lead the charge, but there are several first-time Olympians who will play important roles. That list includes Damian Lillard, Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo.

While it's an unfamiliar cast on the international stage, it will offer players like Lillard, who has been on fire with the team, the chance to shine.

The pressure to win will be real in Tokyo. Since NBA players starting representing the country, Team USA is 53-3 in the Olympics. The 2004 team was the only one to lose a game.

After a bumpy exhibition warm-up run, the stakes will be high. Here's a look at the complete roster.

               

Team USA Basketball Roster

• G Jrue Holiday
• G Keldon Johnson
• G Devin Booker
• G Zach LaVine
• G Damian Lillard
• F Khris Middleton
• F Kevin Durant
• F Jerami Grant
• F Draymond Green
• F Jayson Tatum
• C Bam Adebayo
• C JaVale McGee 

The basketball tournament will start with pool play, with the 12 nations placed in groups of four. The first three games on the schedule for Team USA will be against fellow groupmates, France, Iran and Czech Republic.

From there, the top two teams in each group will advance to tournament play. Here's what the schedule looks like, including the group play matchups.

           

Team USA Schedule

Sunday, July 25

France vs. USA, 8 a.m. ET

Wednesday, July 28

Iran vs. USA, 12:40 p.m. ET

Saturday, July 31

USA vs. Czech Republic, 8 a.m. ET

Tuesday, August 3

Men's Quarterfinals

Thursday, August 5

Men's Semifinals

Friday, August 6

Men's Gold Medal Game, 10:30 p.m. ET

Saturday, August 7

Men's Bronze Medal Game, 7 a.m. ET

          

Gold Medal Odds

• USA -320 (bet $320 to win $100)
• Australia +750
• Spain +900
• Slovenia +1500
• France +1600
• Nigeria +3000
• Argentina +3500
• Italy +4000
• Czech Republic +10000
• Germany +15000
• Japan +30000
• Iran +50000

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

            

Team USA comes into the tournament as the odds-on favorite to take home gold, but that's far from a guarantee. This team has already shown some cause for concern after it lost back-to-back exhibitions to Nigeria and Australia.

Losing to the team from Down Under is especially concerning as the Australians are among the underdogs with the shortest odds to pull off the upset.

The biggest hurdle standing in the way of Team USA as it prepares for a busy schedule is getting on the same page. Three of the 12 players (Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday) are fresh off the NBA Finals.

Popovich has been open about his uncertainty regarding the introduction of the trio in Tokyo.

"I have no idea [how to use them]. I'm not trying to be glib. I'm trying to be transparent," Popovich said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. "Maybe they'll be OK for the game [Sunday] and it'll hit them two days later. Maybe we should play them in the first half and see what they're like. Maybe they'll have to play."

They will be tested right away by a France team that isn't short on NBA talent. The French will feature Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. They beat Team USA as recently as 2019, so it's far from a guaranteed win in the opener.

The Australia team that beat Team USA in exhibition play won't be going away, either. It is the most talented team in Group B and has plenty of NBA talent in its own right. Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes, Dante Exum and Patty Mills will lead the Boomers.

Looking at the tournament as a whole and forecasting a winner, it's difficult to pick against Team USA. Early struggles aside, it did rebound to beat Argentina by 28 going into the tournament.

Even if it was to drop a game to France early on, there would still be two games to come together against Iran and Czech Republic. Both should offer opportunities for a tuneup before another important game is played.

It might not be easy, but Team USA is the favorite to win for a reason.

Prediction: Team USA wins gold.

Team USA will learn a lot about itself during Sunday's Olympic opener against France.

The U.S. men had a choppy run during exhibition play, losing consecutive games to Nigeria and Australia. The team's perpetual search for chemistry and cohesion is especially difficult this time around, as injuries and COVID-19 issues have affected the roster, which will finally add the fresh faces of Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker, who were previously tied up with the NBA Finals.

"That's one of the interesting things about international basketball is our team changes every year and the teams we play against stay the same, and that's the big challenge," assistant coach Steve Kerr told reporters.

Speaking of big challenges, Team USA opens with a massive one. France, which features Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier and Frank Ntilikina, knocked off the United States when these teams last tussled at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

"We've been preparing for France for two years," head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. "I think about it every day."

Can Team USA reverse some of its recent misfortune and gain momentum in its quest for a fourth straight gold medal? Or will France slay Goliath again?

After laying out the scheduling particulars, let's take a deeper dive into the matchup to find out.

                            

Olympic Men's Basketball

Who: United States vs. France

When: Sunday, July 25 at 8 a.m. ET

Where: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com and Peacock

                      

Preview and Prediction

France can make life difficult for the Americans on both ends of the court.

On offense, Batum and Fournier can keep things humming as capable shot-creators and shot-makers. They may not always be the most consistent scorers, but either one can heat up in a hurry and pile three-point bombs on top of one another.

And they have an elite interior anchor on defense in Gobert, who just captured his third Defensive Player of the Year award this season. They also have the pesky Ntilikina on the perimeter. Either one can be a wet blanket to throw at whichever American scorer catches fire.

This team has talent—just not nearly as much of it as Team USA.

Granted, as per usual, it's a new batch. Just two players are back from the 2016 gold medalists—Kevin Durant and Draymond Green—and even the coaching staff is new, with Popovich replacing Mike Krzyzewski.

But the U.S. talent pool is so rich and deep that it's basically always rostering a bunch of A-listers.

In addition to Durant, Green, Booker, Middleton and Holiday, Team USA features Damian Lillard, Zach LaVine, Bam Adebayo and Jayson Tatum, among others. And that coaching change just meant moving from one legendary skipper to another.

That doesn't mean Team USA can just show up and win, though. The lack of chemistry is a challenge, and if they aren't careful, it's an obstacle that could do them in.

But talent wins out more often than not, and the U.S. has more of it than France by a wide margin. The score may not reflect that throughout the contest, but Team USA should pull away for a relatively comfortable win.

Prediction: Team USA 102, France 90

The men's Olympic basketball tournament in Tokyo is set to tipoff late Saturday night and early Sunday morning stateside.

The U.S. will be in pursuit of its fourth consecutive gold medal after going 2-2 in exhibitions leading up to the Games. It will be tested immediately in a pool-play game against a France team that features several NBA players.

The first day also features Australia, which is considered the biggest threat to Team USA's run for gold. Australia is set to start Olympic play against Nigeria.

Here's a look at the schedule for Day 1, including broadcast information and the latest lines. All games will be streaming on the NBC Sports App or Peacock. A tape delay of the United States game will be shown on NBC in the afternoon and NBC Sports Network in prime time.

                   

Day 1 Olympic Basketball Schedule

Saturday, July 24

Men's: Czech Republic (-17.5) vs. Iran, 9 p.m. ET (NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com)

           

Sunday, July 25

Men's: Italy (-5.5) vs. Germany, 12:40 a.m. ET (NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com)

Men's: Australia (-8.5) vs. Nigeria, 4:20 a.m. ET (NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com)

Men's: USA (-12) vs. France, 8 a.m. ET (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)

Women's: Spain (-25) vs. South Korea, 9 p.m. ET (NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

                     

Day 1 marks the beginning of pool play, with the top two teams in each group of four advancing. Two of the three favorites to win the three groups will be in action. The United States (-2000; wager $2000 to win $100) are the favorites in Group A, while Australia (-190) has the best odds in Group B.

Spain (-125) is the lone favorite not in action.

The United States' matchup with France will be one to watch. The national team will be looking to rebound from a disappointing showing in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where they did not win a medal. France beat Team USA in the quarterfinals on their way to a bronze medal.

This version of Team USA looks much different. Khris Middleton, who logged 18 minutes, and Jayson Tatum, who got the DNP (coach's decision), are the only holdovers representing the team in Tokyo.

The France team, looks very familiar, though. It will be lead by Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. All three made key contributions in the World Cup win.

Gregg Popovich's squad has received some reinforcements, with Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker and Middleton heading to Japan straight from the NBA Finals. The head coach isn't sure how he will help them acclimate, telling the Associated Press (h/t NBC Sports):

"I think it's going to be a little bit by the seat of the pants because there's no formula to go by. It depends how the team is doing and the condition of the players here, what we think we need. Our first game is France so we'll look in terms of what fits might work best, but it's not going to be like they're going to come and sit for a week and get ready."

Australia and Nigeria both picked up wins against Team USA in exhibitions leading up to the tournament. However, their exhibition against one another yielded a blowout 108-69 win for the Boomers. The team brings a wealth of international and NBA experience to the stage, with veterans like Joe Ingles and Aron Baynes flanked by young guns like Josh Green and Matisse Thybulle.

The most intriguing game of the day might be the Group B matchup between Italy and Germany. Italy got to the Olympics by upsetting Serbia in qualifying. Now, they add Danilo Gallinari to their ranks.

Germany will be without Dennis Schroeder but went 4-0 in qualifying. This is its first time since Dirk Nowitzki's retirement it has made the Olympic field after finishing 10th in 2008.

On the women's side, it's a relatively quiet day. Spain, which is ranked third in the world by FIBA, will open its Olympic campaign as the big favorite over South Korea in the only action of the day.

                        

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The United States men's basketball team is grouped with Iran, France and the Czech Republic in the preliminary round of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The field for the event was set Sunday after the Czechs downed Greece in their qualifying tournament. Team USA will tip things off July 25, the second day of action in Japan.

Team USA Preliminary Round Schedule

• vs. France on July 25 at 8 a.m. ET

• vs. Iran on July 28 at 12:40 a.m. ET

• vs. Czech Republic on July 31 at 8 a.m. ET

The top two teams in each of the three groups and the two-best third-place finishers move on to the quarterfinals.

At least in the group stage, France figures to be the stiffest competition for Team USA, with Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Frank Ntilikina representing Les Bleus. The French sit seventh in FIBA's men's ranking.

Anything short of a gold medal will be considered a disappointment for the United States. Since the Dream Team in 1992 signaled the debut of NBA players in the Olympics, Team USA has won gold in six of seven Olympics.

A bronze-medal finish in 2004 was such a disaster it led to major changes at USA Basketball.

As he enters his first Summer Games in charge, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich doesn't have what you'd consider the optimal roster. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry are among the most notable absences.

Still, talent shouldn't be an issue for Team USA. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Draymond Green, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum will headline the squad in Tokyo.

Prior to the Olympics, the team will hold a training camp from July 6-18 in Las Vegas. As part of the camp, the U.S. will compete in five exhibitions, the first of which is July 10 against Nigeria.

Luka Doncic helped Slovenia earn a spot in the Summer Olympics in men's basketball after producing a triple-double in Sunday's qualifying win over Lithuania.

Slovenia secured the 96-85 win in the finals of the six-team qualifying tournament in Kaunas, Lithuania, giving the country its first trip to the Olympics in the sport. Doncic starred with 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in the clinching game.

Luka Doncic and Slovenia have qualified to compete in the Olympics for the first time in the nation's history 👏 pic.twitter.com/5ZxJZ6xD7t

— ESPN (@espn) July 4, 2021

Lithuania featured NBA players like Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas, but the perennial international contender fell short of a trip to Tokyo.

The European squad had competed at the last seven Olympic Games, earning three bronze medals in that stretch.

Sunday's game was a close one early with the two teams tied 52-52 at halftime. Lithuania used a balanced attack offensively as five players reached double figures over the 40-minute battle, although Sabonis was held to just nine in the loss.

The difference came in a third quarter that saw Slovenia outscore its opponent 28-17. Doncic was nearly unstoppable offensively, shooting 13-of-23 from the field while his team finished 13-of-31 (42 percent) from three-point range.

With the Olympic bid, Slovenia builds on its 2017 EuroBasket title as the country becomes a legitimate power behind Doncic.

The Dallas Mavericks guard has already proved himself in the NBA with two All-Star selections and a Rookie of the Year award in his first three seasons. He continues to elevate his game as he looks to lead his home country to greater heights.

The United States likely will be without at least a few of its biggest stars at this summer's Tokyo Olympics. 

According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, "neither LeBron James nor Anthony Davis is expected to play for Team USA due to their terrible seasons of injuries."

He added that Golden State Warriors MVP finalist Stephen Curry is "50-50" on whether he'll participate, while Damian Lillard is "believed to have strong interest in playing, though no final decision has been made."

Team USA's roster for the upcoming Olympics remains a major question mark, especially after a compressed NBA season due to the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in a number of superstars dealing with injuries throughout the season. 

Will players who have battled through injuries this season or postseason like Kevin Durant, James Harden, Chris Paul and Kemba Walker, among others, be willing to essentially give up their postseason? (Team USA training camp opens in July.)

How many players might remove themselves if their teams go on deep playoff runs?

A player like Jayson Tatum, who dealt with COVID-19 this season but was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, told reporters he was undecided as of yet.

“It definitely is something to think about,” he said last week. “Obviously, going two or three years kind of without much of a break, but obviously that’s an incredible opportunity, and something I’ve got to think about further down the line.”

The United States has an enormously talented pool of players to pull from, with 57 finalists for the roster. That will be naturally whittled down as players choose to skip the Olympics, but the Americans should still be the favorites even if a number of superstars skip Tokyo. 

It's not just NBA fans who dream of inter-generational battles between the greatest players in history.

Even LeBron James does it.

James appeared on UNINTERRUPTED with Paul Rivera and Maverick Carter on Monday and discussed a hypothetical showdown between his 2008 Olympic team—named the Redeem Team because it won the gold medal after the 2004 team won bronze—and the 1992 Dream Team that is widely considered the greatest group of basketball players ever assembled (around the 32-minute mark).

"It definitely would have been a hell of a game," James said while revealing he would pick his own side but acknowledging "whoever got the ball last could win the game."

LeBron joked about how Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant would have their own game within the game, broke down how the 2008 team could pull Charles Barkley from the paint but would have to help Carmelo Anthony on the other side and highlighted the size the 1992 team had at its disposal.

"One thing about the '92 team, they had a lot of grown-ass strong men," he said. "Those guys be lifting cars. You ever see the Strongest Man Competition on ESPN? Charles, Malone, Ewing ... Robinson, those guys are like brute strong."

While matchups between Jordan and Bryant or Dwyane Wade, James and Scottie Pippen, Anthony and Barkley, Dwight Howard and David Robinson, and Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd or Chris Paul would have been thrilling, 2008 may have run into trouble when the benches came into the game.

After all, 11 of the 12 players on the 1992 Dream Team went to the Hall of Fame, and it could have thrown together a secondary unit with John Stockton, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing and Karl Malone, among others.

Players such as Carlos Boozer, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd and Deron Williams were talented, but dealing with that group may have been an issue.

Still, fans can only dream of the matchups the starting lineups would have created in such a legendary showdown.