1984 Olympic Basketball Team - Mullin, Ewing, Jordan

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MainMan

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Who wins this game?

1984 Gold Medal Winning Olympic Team
G. Steve Alford 
G. Michael Jordan 
F: Chris Mullin 
F: Wayman Tisdale 
C: Patrick Ewing 
Bench: Sam Perkins, Alvin Robertson, Vern Fleming, Leon Wood, Joe Kleine, Jon Koncak, Jeff Turner

OR 

1984 Olympic Team Cuts 
G: John Stockton 
G: Joe Dumars 
F: Charles Barkley 
F: Karl Malone 
C: Kevin Willis/Otis Thorpe 

Bench: Terry Porter, Chuck Person, Dell Curry,, A.C. Green, Michael Cage, Tyrone Corbin
 
MainMan post=437280 said:
Who wins this game?

1984 Gold Medal Winning Olympic Team
G. Steve Alford 
G. Michael Jordan 
F: Chris Mullin 
F: Wayman Tisdale 
C: Patrick Ewing 
Bench: Sam Perkins, Alvin Robertson, Vern Fleming, Leon Wood, Joe Kleine, Jon Koncak, Jeff Turner

OR 

1984 Olympic Team Cuts 
G: John Stockton 
G: Joe Dumars 
F: Charles Barkley 
F: Karl Malone 
C: Kevin Willis/Otis Thorpe 

Bench: Terry Porter, Chuck Person, Dell Curry,, A.C. Green, Michael Cage, Tyrone Corbin
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Not entirely fair because these were collegians, and the comparison evokes the NBA careers that these guys had.   I believe Bobby Knight was the coach (from memory) and he cut Barkley, citing that he was overweight and out of shape.  Barkley's nickname at the time was "The Round Mound of Rebound" but even then the press questioned why Barkley was cut.   Alford of course, was Knight's own player, so it's understandable how he was favored over Stockton. 

Some players hit the wall when they were drafted into the NBA and didn't have great careers.   I'm sure that the success and prominence some guys were having as collegians figured into the decision to take certain guys over others.   

Then again, a guy like Knight was likely trying to construct a team to win a Gold medal, and not necessarily choose the 12 best players.

Fun topic though to discuss.   Great job.
 
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There are 3 HOFers on the Olympic team: Mullin, Ewing, Jordan. 

The are 4 on the cut team: Stockton, Dumars, Barkley, Malone. 

The results speak for themselves. Knight's team went undefeated with ease to win gold. 

But the talent on the cut team is extraordinary. 
 
    Great question .   Barkley was a obvious ommission on the 84 team .    Interesting to note that Mullin , Jordan , Ewing were all on the 92 Dream Team . As were Malone , Stockton , Barkley   All HOF players .  I’m not sure if Dumars  is a HOF player ?     A little fact is that Walter Berry , JUCO player of Year and JUCO All American was also cut by Knight  on the 84 team .  Walter got better in 85 and was 86 Wooden and. College Player of the Year .  
 
it was a golden era of sports, before hundreds of channels, mobile devices, and streaming on demand services.   I think most of us were way more plugged into sports than we are today because we have a lot more distractions.  
 
Talent on the "cut" team is extraordinary, as noted.

That said, any team with Jordan, Mullin and Ewing is going to win more often than not.  Both at the time and frankly anytime.
 
Beast of the East post=437311 said:
it was a golden era of sports, before hundreds of channels, mobile devices, and streaming on demand services.   I think most of us were way more plugged into sports than we are today because we have a lot more distractions.  
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I hope you are not suggesting that some of us got older or even (heaven forfend) grew up.
 
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