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"I just felt like we had enough size that we could contend with the 2012 team," he said of the team that was without elite shot blocker Dwight Howard and relied heavily on the Knicks' Tyson Chandler at center. "I think one of the things the 2012 team lacked was size, you know? We probably would have attacked them from inside and outside, and I think that would have been pretty much solidified [for the '92 team's defense] with shot-blockers as well as perimeter defensive players. SI.com

Michael Jordan, USA Basketball, Team USA 

"Granted, I think those guys are much more athletic than maybe we were at that particular time, but I'd like to think that we were a little bit smarter and well-groomed about playing at that level of basketball," Jordan said. "So in all honesty, I don't think we would've had any problems with them, as much as they think they probably would've given us a lot more difficulties. I think our team would've been a lot better in terms of all-around basketball game." SI.com

Michael Jordan, USA Basketball, Team USA 

Jerry Colangelo, Director of USA basketball and orchestrator of the 2012 roster seems to think the 2012 team has the upper hand. "I'm not going to get involved in an argument about the Dream Team of 1992 that had no competition to play against," Jerry Colangelo told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Tuesday. "Really when you look at that roster half the players were on the down side (of their career), and three or four of them could hardly play at that time due to age." Arizona's Sports Page

Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball, Team USA 

Though size would be the clear advantage for the Dream Team, Colangelo feels being small was the 2012 team's advantage this year's Olympics. "Athleticism, quickness and speed will beat size every day because what usually goes with size is they have to step slow," Colangelo said regarding the 2012 team. Arizona's Sports Page

Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball, Team USA 

The USA Basketball men's and women's teams gold medal games deliver huge ratings drew big viewership numbers for their gold medal games on NBC -- with 12.5 million viewers for the men, and 10.2 viewers for the women -- helping propel NBC Sports to record numbers throughout the Summer Olympics in London. NBA.com

USA Basketball, Team USA, Olympics 

Reggie Jackson: Don't know if I said it yet but congrats to the teammates @Kevin Durant @James Harden n @Russell Westbrook on winning gold in London's Olympics Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, USA Basketball, James Harden, Team USA, Russell Westbrook, Reggie Jackson 

Leading up to Sunday's gold-medal game, as Chris Paul memorably said, Durant's teammates occasionally had "to yell at him to shoot the ball." Yet he had stopped deferring by the time Team USA was confronted by a stubborn Spain in the deciding game and recognized his own growth afterward. "When we first got together, I was passing those shots up, making unnecessary dribbles and messing our offense up," Durant said. "I didn't want to be the guy taking all those shots, the one guys didn't want to be playing with." ESPN.com

Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, USA Basketball, Team USA, Olympics 

Pretty much every time he was asked at these Olympics, James would always bat the questions away, saying: "Let me get through this first." If anything wore on him this summer, it was the daily media grind, with Team USA besieged by reporters from all over the world before practices and after games. Those were obligations that James always fulfilled but also the only part of the trip that made him look as weary as you'd expect for someone who played 85 regular-season and playoff games in a lockout-compacted season and then had to report to his national team after just a couple of weeks off. ESPN.com

LeBron James, USA Basketball, Team USA, Olympics 

He didn't hesitate when asked if he thought there was a chance his Heat teammate LeBron James and the rest of the U.S. men wouldn't win gold. "No," Wade said. "No. Simple as that." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, USA Basketball, Team USA, Olympics 

Andre Iguodala: Back home in the USA!! Twitter

Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala, USA Basketball, Team USA, Olympics 

Pat Riley, on LeBron James' gold-medal quest, "I think both Micky and I had a great sigh of relief that he got through the Olympics without getting hurt or anything happening and also winning the gold medal. It just sort of completes a tremendous turnaround for him. He did it, and he did it by looking at himself in the eye, looking in the mirror, taking stock of what it was that he may not have done last year, on the court, off the court, and this year he had a perfect run. We're happy for him. We love him to death, obviously." Sulia

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Pat Riley, Micky Arison, Team USA, Olympics, USA Basketbakk 

Marc Stein: LeBron clearly unsure about Rio in 2016, but Melo sure sounds up for being USA's first four-time hoops Olympian: "I'm young! I'm only 28" Twitter

Carmelo Anthony, Team USA, Olympics 

It is also the last Olympic stop for Bryant, who turns 34 this month. "I'm definitely not playing" in 2016, he said after scoring 17 points against Spain. "We have a lot of talented players coming up and hopefully we'll continue to grow our program, continue to mentor the young fellows coming up . . . and continue to carry on the tradition." Los Angeles Times

Kobe Bryant, Team USA, Olympics 

Marc Stein: Anthony Davis on Kobe: "He said it's not last (gold) for you. I asked him if he was going to play w/me in 2016 & he just started laughing" Twitter

Kobe Bryant, Team USA, Olympics, Anthony Davis 

Marc Stein: Kobe raises good question about Pau: How much longer can Spain count on him? KB: "I don't know if he'll play in Rio. I'm definitely not." Twitter

Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Team USA, Olympics 

“He’s the best player, and he’s the best leader, and he’s as smart as anybody playing the game right now,” Krzyzewski said of James. “We’ve developed a really close bond because I rely on him to do that for me.” Washington Post

LeBron James, Team USA, Olympics 

"It's sweet to have this gold medal around your neck," said Paul. "But it's tough, because you don't get this opportunity anymore. I hate that in a couple months these guys will be my enemies. This is the funnest time of my life." SI.com

Chris Paul, Team USA, Olympics 

Spain had overcome the absence of Marc Gasol (17 points) for all but 17 minutes, the result of picking up a fourth foul prematurely in the first half. "Probably it was a mistake," said coach Sergio Scariolo, who referred to it as the kind of risk one takes in hope of upsetting a power like the U.S. The benefit of the benching was the defensive presence of Serge Ibaka, who came off the bench to serve as a kind of deterrent to James. In the fourth, said Pau Gasol, "We tried a new defense that we really didn't practice, and they made us pay for our mistakes." The defense was a box-and-one, and when James faked a handoff, two defenders went for the fake opening a clear path which James used to drive for a dunk. On the next possession, James canned a three over Marc Gasol for a 102-93 advantage. SI.com

Spain, Team USA, Olympics 

Coach Mike Krzyzewski helped Team USA beat Spain in the gold medal game on Sunday then reiterated that he would not be back as the head man on the bench for the 2016 games in Rio. Naturally, minutes later began the speculation as to Coach K's replacement. Doc Rivers, who has analyzed the Olympic basketball games for NBC this summer, said that anyone who was asked to take over would say yes -- including him. He wouldn't say that he's the best man for the job, though. Instead, Rivers thought another member of NBC's broadcast team would be more suited for the position: Doug Collins. "And there's a reason," Rivers said. " '72." CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Doc Rivers, Coaching, USA Basketball, Team USA, Mike Krzyzewski, Doug Collins 

Collins, who served as color analyst for NBC in London, was on Team USA in 1972 when a controversial ending robbed the Americans of the gold medal in Munich. Rivers said that he thought Collins deserved the job over himself and Spurs coach Greg Popovich -- two of the likely frontrunners for the job. Rivers said that if he was selected for the job that he would work to make sure Collins served as an assistant on the team's staff. CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Doc Rivers, Coaching, Gregg Popovich, USA Basketball, Team USA, Mike Krzyzewski, Doug Collins