Bad Dream Team?

They approve!

Imagine that professional basketball players were not allowed to compete in the 1992 Olympics. So no Dream Team: MJ and Sir Charles spend the summer golfing and gambling.

Would Toni Kukoc and his boys run Eastern European-style roughshod over some American co-eds and amateurs?

So just what would the 1992 USA Olympic Basketball team have looked like had it been populated with collegiates instead of pros?

Here's my best guess:

Guards: Bobby Hurley (Duke), Jim Jackson (Ohio State), Calbert Cheaney (Indiana), Jalen Rose (Michigan), Anfernee Hardaway (Memphis State)

Forwards: Christian Laettner (Duke), Grant Hill (Duke), Chris Webber (Michigan), Jamal Mashburn (Kentucky), Harold Miner (USC)

Centers: Shaquille O’Neal (LSU), Alonzo Mourning (Georgetown)

Some end-to-end burners, high flyers, slick passers, lock down defenders and a few low block menaces.

Really is there any way these guys don’t win the gold medal?

Now, on the flip side, imagine if the U.S. took a B-team to Barcelona made up of other NBA players.

Guards: Tim Hardaway (Golden State), Kevin Johnson (Phoenix), Mark Price (Cleveland), Reggie Miller (Indiana), Isiah Thomas (Detroit), Mitch Richmond (Sacramento)

Forwards: Dan Majerle (Phoenix), Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta), Larry Johnson (Charlotte), James Worthy (L.A. Lakers), Glen Rice (Miami)

Centers: Kevin Willis (Atlanta), Brad Daugherty (Cleveland)

Nasty! A few youngsters and a host of vets but still an entire team of all-stars and future all-stars.

But luckily, the stars are came out to dawn the stars and stripes at just the right time. The popularity of the actual Dream Team ushered in an unparalleled global explosion of the popularity of the sport. All eleven pros (Jordan, Pippen, Bird, Magic, Robinson, Ewing, Stockton, Malone, Barkley, Drexler, Mullin) that filled the Dream Team roster ended up as Basketball Hall of Famers and are regarded as some of the games top legends.

Sorry Christian Laettner ...but you'll always have the 1992 NCAA East Regional finals buzzer beater!