AS THE US Olympic basketball team prepares to win its second consecutive gold medal in the coming weeks, the team that started it all is getting some extra time in the spotlight.
In the eyes of many, “The Dream Team” remains to this day the greatest group of stars ever assembled on the same team, in any sport. It featured 11 future Hall of Famers and one of the greatest college basketball stars of all time.
And although that magical group of 12 is still revered worldwide, much of what went on behind the scenes in the build up to and during the 1992 games had remained mostly unknown. Until now.
Jordan was a great ping pong player, but Christian Laettner beat him often
There would've never been The Dream Team were it not for a Yugoslavian meat inspector
Michael Jordan had incredible amounts of power. He even had a say in who made the team
Sharp-shooting guard Chris Mullin had no idea Charles Barkley even played basketball the first time they met
Michael Jordan once injured Patrick Ewing by putting him in a headlock
The most glaring Dream Team exclusion was Isiah Thomas, primarily because Jordan didn't want him there
Patrick Ewing grew up in Massachusetts a big fan of Bill Russell's Boston Celtics teams but hated Larry Bird, until meeting him later in life
The idea that Magic's 'Showtime' Lakers were always loads of fun and Larry Bird's Celtics were boring is false
Clyde Drexler still holds some resentment toward Magic regarding his Dream Team and 1992 NBA All-Star Game inclusion
Scottie Pippen had the unlikeliest journey to The Dream Team out of everyone
The key to Dream Team head coach Chuck Daly's success can be summed up in this one Coach K anecdote
No one put The Dream Team's dominance and star power into greater perspective than Charles Barkley
If you think things were always super rosy with this group, think again. There were enough prima-donnas on this team to spell eventual doom
David Robinson was the clear outsider on this team
To this day, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski tears up when remembering the respect Michael Jordan showed toward him when he was an assistant on The Dream Team
The most popular t-shirt at the 1992 games was not anything featuring The Dream Team
16 great anecdotes about the Dream Team and its megastar Players
AS THE US Olympic basketball team prepares to win its second consecutive gold medal in the coming weeks, the team that started it all is getting some extra time in the spotlight.
In the eyes of many, “The Dream Team” remains to this day the greatest group of stars ever assembled on the same team, in any sport. It featured 11 future Hall of Famers and one of the greatest college basketball stars of all time.
And although that magical group of 12 is still revered worldwide, much of what went on behind the scenes in the build up to and during the 1992 games had remained mostly unknown. Until now.
We just finished reading Jack McCallum’s excellent Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
.
It's filled with amazing stories, some we had never heard before, others we simply didn't know all the details of.
Jordan was a great ping pong player, but Christian Laettner beat him often
There would've never been The Dream Team were it not for a Yugoslavian meat inspector
Michael Jordan had incredible amounts of power. He even had a say in who made the team
Sharp-shooting guard Chris Mullin had no idea Charles Barkley even played basketball the first time they met
Michael Jordan once injured Patrick Ewing by putting him in a headlock
The most glaring Dream Team exclusion was Isiah Thomas, primarily because Jordan didn't want him there
Patrick Ewing grew up in Massachusetts a big fan of Bill Russell's Boston Celtics teams but hated Larry Bird, until meeting him later in life
The idea that Magic's 'Showtime' Lakers were always loads of fun and Larry Bird's Celtics were boring is false
Clyde Drexler still holds some resentment toward Magic regarding his Dream Team and 1992 NBA All-Star Game inclusion
Scottie Pippen had the unlikeliest journey to The Dream Team out of everyone
The key to Dream Team head coach Chuck Daly's success can be summed up in this one Coach K anecdote
No one put The Dream Team's dominance and star power into greater perspective than Charles Barkley
If you think things were always super rosy with this group, think again. There were enough prima-donnas on this team to spell eventual doom
David Robinson was the clear outsider on this team
To this day, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski tears up when remembering the respect Michael Jordan showed toward him when he was an assistant on The Dream Team
The most popular t-shirt at the 1992 games was not anything featuring The Dream Team
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