The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, more commonly known as the Dream Team, was the first US olympic team to use professional athletes from the NBA. Many regard this team as the greatest sports team ever assembled.
The team consisted of 11 Hall of Fame players, including some of which are regarded amongst the greatest of all time such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, alongside 2 time NBA world champion coach Chuck Daly and college phenom Christian Laettner.
The team dominated the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, defeating teams by an average of 44 points, including a notable 117-85 win over Croatia in the gold medal game.
History
Prior to 1992, NBA players were banned from attending the Olympics, and thus the US teams only consisted of college level players. However, other countries were permitted to use players from their top professional leagues, resulting in notable losses for the USA, including a 1988 bronze medal finish in Seoul. However, on 7 April 1989, professional athletes were voted to be allowed in events like the World Cup or the Olympics, resulting in USA basketball requesting the NBA to supply their own talent.
The first 10 players were announced on September 21, 1991, however there was some controversy surrounding the last two picks. Many people believed that Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons would be selected, having recently won an NBA championship in 1990 as the Final's MVP, however Clyde Drexler of the Portland Trail Blazers was selected instead. This was likely due to tensions between Thomas and many of the players in the team, most notably Michael Jordan, due to the former's rough play in the NBA with Magic Johnson stating "Isiah killed his own chances when it came to the Olympics. Nobody on that team wanted to play with him." Ultimately, the 10th spot was filled out by college player Christian Laettner as a nod to the previous amateur system.
Play on the court
Although the dream team consisted of many of the best players in the world, coach Daly was concerned that the group's egos would get in the way. As a result, a team of the top NCAA players were organized to scrimmage against them to prepare the team for the Olympics. This team consisted of future notable players such as Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway and Allan Houston. In the game in late June, it was reported that coach Daly purposely made poor coaching decisions, including not playing Michael Jordan, which ultimately led the confident Dream Team to lose against the college team 62-54. Many players in the team noted that this humbling experience forced them to drop their egos and work together better as a cohesive unit to win. The following day, the teams would play in a rematch, with the dream team winning comfortably.
Roster
 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team
| |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | USA basketball |
| FIBA zone | FIBA Americas |
| Team colors | Navy Blue, Red, White |
| FIBA Americas place |  1st
|
| Olympics place |  1st
|
| Nickname | The Dream Team |
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Michael Jordan | Guard |
| Magic Johnson | Guard |
| John Stockton | Guard |
| Clyde Drexler | Guard |
| Larry Bird | Small Forward |
| Scottie Pippen | Small Forward |
| Chris Mullin | Small Forward |
| Christian Laettner | Power Forward |
| Charles Barkley | Power Forward |
| Karl Malone | Power Forward |
| Patrick Ewing | Center |
| David Robinson | Center |
- Head Coach: Chuck Daly