Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant recently made headlines proclaiming this year's Olympians could beat the original 1992 Dream Team. I think Kobe needs to brush up on his Aerosmith: "Dream on."

Bryant's logic is the players on the 1992 team were near the end of their careers, while this year's players are in their primes. Sure, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were near the end of their careers, but, with the exception of Clyde Drexler, every other player on the team played into the 2000s. Honestly, I have a hard time envisioning Kobe playing eight more years in the NBA.

Also, who on this year's team matches up with Patrick Ewing and David Robinson? Tyson Chandler and Anthony Davis Blake Griffin Anthony Davis? Sure Davis swatted shot after shot against Kansas, but the Dream Team is an entirely different monster.

The original Dream Team was also full of ferocious defenders. If you throw Carmelo Anthony on Scottie Pippen, Pip would go for 50 and hold Carmelo to 12. Easily. And after watching Chandler duck every time LeBron James went up for a dunk during last year's Finals, I'd hate to see what Michael Jordan and Co. would do to him.

The biggest edge the '92 Dream Team would have over this year's squad is killer instinct. Johnson and Bird were in constant competition throughout their careers to one-up the other. Jordan and Pippen battled with the Bad Boys. The other guys were always measured against Jordan, and wanted to take him down. I have a hard time imagining today's practices are intense as they were in 1992. 

These guys are looking forward to playing with their buddies for the world to see. Those guys wanted to destroy everything in their way, including each other. Kobe has that same mentality, but doesn't realize some of his teammates lack it.

That mentality is what makes him bold enough to make such a foolish prediction.

It's also why he doesn't realize he's wrong.