The Utah Jazz are the team with most players on this year’s Olympic Dream team with two: Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.
The selections of Williams and Boozer, however, also push the Jazz ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the most Olympic Dream Team selections of all time. The Jazz now have seven to the Suns’ five.
Think of this stat like this: There have been five teams, each had 12 spots; of those 60 spots, seven, or 12 percent of all rosters, went to Jazzmen. Also, of the 11 players selected to more than one Dream Team, three have been Jazz players: Boozer, Stockton and Malone. And Williams will almost certainly be on the 2012 team, so the Jazz have consistent superstars.
Of the five U.S. Olympic teams since the Dream Team was first put together in 1992, three of those teams have featured Jazz teammates (John Stockton and Malone in 1992 and 1996, and Williams and Boozer this year). In fact, only Boozer, then a newly-signed free agent, has represented the Jazz by himself at an Olympics, in 2004.
That the Jazz have had three teammates on Olympic Dream Teams is staggering, considering that only seven sets of teammates have even played on the Olympic team since 1992; meaning the Jazz own three of the seven teammate pairings in Olympic Dream Team history. (The other teammates who represented the U.S. in the Olympics were Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of Chicago in 1992; Vin Baker and Gary Payton of Seattle in 2000; Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning of Miami in 2000; and Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion of Phoenix in 2004).
Of the seven pairings, only Utah’s three pairings, along with Chicago’s and arguably the Phoenix’s are even legitimate. What were Tim Hardaway and Vin Baker doing in the Olympics anyway?
To put the three teams with Jazz teammates into perspective, consider this: Only nine NBA teams have had a total of at least three players represent them in the Olympics. And three teams–the Clippers, Wizards and Hawks–have never sent a player to the Olympics (although given those teams’ histories, that’s hardly surprising; Duke also has the distinction of having more Dream Team selections than any of these teams, since Christian Laettner was somehow chosen over Shaquille O’Neal to represent the college players on the original dream team. This statistic will no doubt give credence to the idea that Duke could beat the Hawks).
The only year the Jazz did not have a player on the Olympic team was in 2000, when the U.S. sent arguably its least star-studded team to the Olympics in a roster that included Baker, Steve Smith, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Tim Hardaway, Antonio McDyess, and Allan Houston.
I know what you’re thinking … Steve Smith was on a Dream Team? Was Matt Harpring unavailable? And, yes, the 2000 team somehow won a gold medal, which has to be the biggest insult of all-time to the Europeans that a team with Steve Smith, Antonio McDyess and Vin Baker still won the gold medal.
And it raises the question of, how did the 2004 team lose? I blame LeBronze.
Some other surprising things about the Dream Teams:
- Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan have both played in just one Olympics, which puts Abdur-Rahim and Smith somehow in their league.
- Stephon Marbury was an Olympian four years ago? Maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to blame LeBronze.
- Really? Tim Hardaway in 2000? Really? Those shoe commercials had to be at least eight years old by then?
- Sacramento has had one Olympian. Naturally, you would think it was Chris Webber. You’d be wrong. It was Mitch Richmond, whose only real value was being decent enough that Washington decided that giving up Chris Webber for him was a good idea.
- Milwaukee has more selections than Boston does?
- Of the players selected to the Dream Team twice, Jason Kidd is the only one selected in nonconsecutive Olympics. And he is also the only one to switch teams between selections. He was with Phoenix when he was chosen in 2000, and is now with Dallas as he goes to represent the U.S. in 2008. Yeah, and in between, he had an entire career with the Nets.
- Can a Dream Team be a “Dream Team” if it features Antonio McDyess?
- Of the 11 players selected to two Olympics, Carmelo Anthony is by far the weakest player.
- Five of the original Dream Team were on the 1996 team. Only one player (Gary Payton) from the 1996 team was on the 2000 squad, and no player from the 2000 lineup was on the 2004 entry. But this year, four players from the 2004 team (Boozer, James, Wade and Anthony) are again on the team.
- And how has Jerry Sloan never coached the Dream Team?
OLYMPIC DREAM TEAM SELECTIONS BY TEAM
ATLANTA [0]: None
BOSTON [1]: Larry Bird, 1992
CHARLOTTE [1]: Emeka Okafor, 2004
CHICAGO [3]: Michael Jordan, 1992; Scottie Pippen, 1992 & 1996
CLEVELAND [2]: LeBron James, 2004 & 2008
DALLAS [1]: Jason Kidd, 2008
DETROIT [2]: Grant Hill, 1996; Tayshaun Prince, 2008
DENVER [3]: Antonio McDyess, 2000; Carmelo Anthony, 2004 & 2008
DUKE UNIV.[1]: Christian Laettner, 1992
GOLDEN STATE [1]: Chris Mullin, 1992.
HOUSTON [1]: Hakeem Olajuwon, 1996.
INDIANA [1]: Reggie Miller, 1996.
L.A. CLIPPERS [0]: None
L.A. LAKERS [3]: Magic Johnson, 1992; Shaquille O’Neal, 1996; Kobe Bryant, 2008
MIAMI [4]: Tim Hardaway, 2000; Alonzo Mourning, 2000; Dwyane Wade, 2004 & 2008
MILWAUKEE [2]: Ray Allen, 2000; Michael Redd, 2008
MINNESOTA [1]: Kevin Garnett, 2000
NEW JERSEY [1]: Richard Jefferson, 2004
NEW ORLEANS [1]: Chris Paul, 2008
NEW YORK [3]: Patrick Ewing, 1992; Allan Houston, 2000; Stephon Marbury, 2004.
ORLANDO [2]: Anfernee Hardaway, 1996; Dwight Howard, 2008
PHILADELPHIA [1]: Allen Iverson, 2008.
PHOENIX [5]: Charles Barkley, 1992 & 1996; Jason Kidd, 2000; Shawn Marion, 2004; Amare Stoudemire, 2004
PORTLAND [2]: Clyde Drexler, 1992; Steve Smith, 2000
SACRAMENTO [1]: Mitch Richmond, 1996
SAN ANTONIO [3]: David Robinson, 1992 & 1996; Tim Duncan, 2004.
SEATTLE [3]: Gary Payton, 1996 & 2000; Vin Baker, 2000.
TORONTO [2]: Vince Carter, 2000; Chris Bosh, 2008
UTAH [7]: Karl Malone, 1992 & 1996; John Stockton, 1992 & 1996; Carlos Boozer, 2004 & 2008; Deron Williams, 2008.
WASHINGTON [0]: None
VANCOUVER/MEMPHIS [1]: Shareef Abdur-Rahim, 2000
TOP THREE
1. Utah 7
2. Phoenix 5
3. Miami 4
Three-selection teams: Chicago, Denver, L.A. Lakers, New York, San Antonio, Seattle
Two-selection teams: Cleveland, Milwaukee, Orlando, Portland, Toronto
One-selection teams: Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Duke, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, Memphis/Vancouver, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Sacramento,
Zero seletion teams: Atlanta, L.A. Clippers, Washington
TEAMMATES AT THE OLYMPICS
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Chicago, 1992
Karl Malone and John Stockton, Utah, 1992
Karl Malone and John Stockton, Utah, 1992
Gary Payton and Vin Baker, Seattle, 2000
Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning, Miami, 2000
Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix, 2004
Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams, Utah, 2008
PLAYERS WITH MULTIPLE SELECTIONS
Carmelo Anthony, Denver, 2004 & 2008
Charles Barkley, Phoenix, 1992 & 1996
Carlos Boozer, Utah, 2004 & 2008
LeBron James, Cleveland, 2004 & 2008
Jason Kidd, Phoenix & Dallas, 2000 & 2008
Karl Malone, Utah, 1992 & 1996
Gary Payton, Seattle, 1996 & 2000
Scottie Pippen, Chicago, 1992 & 1996
David Robinson, San Antonio, 1992 & 1996
John Stockton, Utah, 1992 & 1996
Dwyane Wade, Miami, 2004 & 2008
PLAYERS WITH MULTIPLE SELECTIONS
Carmelo Anthony, Denver, 2004 & 2008
Charles Barkley, Phoenix, 1992 & 1996
Carlos Boozer, Utah, 2004 & 2008
LeBron James, Cleveland, 2004 & 2008
Jason Kidd, Phoenix & Dallas, 2000 & 2008
Karl Malone, Utah, 1992 & 1996
Gary Payton, Seattle, 1996 & 2000
Scottie Pippen, Chicago, 1992 & 1996
David Robinson, San Antonio, 1992 & 1996
John Stockton, Utah, 1992 & 1996
Dwyane Wade, Miami, 2004 & 2008
