When the 1994 basketball world championships kicked off in Toronto, the USA team entered with a totally different look than the Dream Team that took the gold in the Olympics in 1992.
Despite the change, they were still able to dominate and take the gold at the tournament.
It’s now sixteen years later, and the 2010 USA team hopes to strike gold like the ’94 team did.
The 2010 USA team will head to Turkey during the middle of August in hopes of winning the tournament, despite having no players from the team that played in the 2008 Olympics.
The 2010 team has similarities to the ’94 team with roster change, but they also hope they can be similar in another big way: winning the gold medal
Since the second “Dream Team” took gold in 1994, no other USA team has been able to capture first place in the world championships since. The 1998 and 2006 teams took home bronze medals and the 2002 team finished sixth in the tournament.
Team USA will hope that their streak of winless tournaments will end this year.
The hope for winning will have to be placed on the back of the team who, like the ’94 team, have no members from the previous USA team.
Just like the 1994 team following the 1992 “Dream Team”, the 2010 USA team has none of the superstars that were featured on the 2008 USA “Redeem” team that won gold during the Olympics in China.
What does that mean for the 2010 team?
No Kobe Bryant.
No Lebron James
No Carmelo Anthony
No Dwyane Wade
No Dwight Howard
With none of those superstars pledging to play for the 2010 USA team, the team decided to construct the team similar to how the ’94 squad was created: with young and upcoming players.
The biggest notable name on the 2010 roster is the addition of Kevin Durant. After leading the 2009-10 season in scoring and his Oklahoma City Thunder to its first playoff appearance since moving from Seattle, the 21-year-old will be asked to lead his country to a world championship gold medal.
Durant will not be the only young 20-year-old on the roster. The backcourt will feature young stars like 21-year-old Derrick Rose and 24-year-old Rajon Rando. The frontcourt will also have baby faces like 21-year-old Kevin Love and 23-year-old Rudy Gay.
Youth will be in team USA’s corner, but so will inexperience.
Luckily with all the youngsters they have, the team will feature players who are seasoned and established veterans. G Chauncey Billups and F/C Lamar Odom will lead and mentor the young stars similar to what Bryant and Jason Kidd did for the 2008 USA team.
The 2010 team will hope they can be the second coming to the 2008 team the same way the 1994 team followed the 1992 team.
The ’94 team was called “Dream Team II” after winning the world championships two years after the 1992 team won the Olympics. After being nicknamed the “Redeem Team” in 2008, the 2010 team can label themselves as the second “Redeem Team” if they can take home the gold in Turkey.
Despite the same path and pressure placed by the team before them, there is only one similarity that the 2010 USA team will want with its 1994 predecessor:
Winning the gold medal at the world basketball tournament.
2010 USA Basketball Hope To Be Like 1994 Team In Every Way
