The Dream Team,

Name: 1992 U.S. Olympic Team
Nickname: "The Dream Team"
Members: Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, John Stockton
Born: There are two dates that contributed to the birth of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team; the first date being September 28th, 1988 when the US Olympic Team was defeated in the semi-finals by the Soviet Union, coming home with a disappointing and unacceptable Bronze finish.  The second date was April 07,1989 when a vote conducted by FIBA opened the door for professional players to participate.
Status: Retired
Origin:
Languages: English (primary)
Website: InterBasket Forums
Record: 8-0
Opponents: Angola 116-48, Croatia 103-70, Germany 111-68, Brazil 127-83, Spain 122-81, Puerto Rico 115-77, Lithuania 127-76, Croatia 117-85

Notes: On September 28th, 1988, during the 24th Olympiad in Seoul, South Korea, the United States National Team lost for the second time in Olympic competition history, and this time there were no excuses.  Unlike 1972, where a flurry of questionable actions occurred towards the end of the game, the 1988 US National Team was defeated fair and square by the Soviet Union.  The seasoned USSR squad was led by future NBA players Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis (along with Rimas Kourtinaitis' 28 points) against a band of collegians (and future NBA all-stars) David Robinson, Hersey Hawkins and Dan Marjerle.  Up until that day, US college players were more than enough to be heavy favorites and secure the Gold Medal, so a Bronze Medal wouldn't relieve the pain and it made it clear that the world was finally catching up.

A half-year later, on April 7th, 1989, came a important vote by the Federation Basketball Association (FIBA) that allowed for "open competition" meaning that professional players could now participate in the Olympic Games.  The timing couldn't have been better for the United States.

Seeing American dominance not only challenged but defeated, USA Basketball got to work on a National Team full of NBA players.  And in September 1991, about a year before the Barcelona Olympics, they came up with, arguably, the best team the United States could assemble - the result was ten NBA players, a who's who of current NBA superstars and legends famous enough to be known by one name - Magic, Bird, Jordan, Barkley, Ewing, Pippen, Stockton and Malone, Chris Mullin and David Robinson.

Stuart's Notes: I loved the Dream Team concept.  Most everyone did.  You took the unquestioned leaders, Magic and Bird, from the NBA favorite rivals teams - the Lakers and the Celtics, you added the unstoppable already legendary Michael Jordan, physical anomaly and never-muzzled Charles Barkley, the leagues best due in John Stockton and Karl Malone, New York Pivotman Patrick Ewing, sharpshooter Chris Mullin, low-key but high-flying Clyde Drexler, Jack-of-all-trades Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and (blech) one college senior, and what did you have (even with a college senior)- the best team ever assembled.  I loved it.  I still love it and search for games in length. 

However, the Dream Team wasn't without controversy - from the selection, to the games, to the aftermath where teams that followed were only Dream Teams on paper, and "nightmares on the court".

Isiah Snubbed: There were a lot of players overlooked for one reason or another - Dominique Wilkins, Akeem Olajuwon, and Kevin Johnson, but there were good reasons those players didn't make the team (only a scorer, not a citizen, too ealry) However, there was no bigger question mark than Isiah Thomas' snub.  At that point, Isiah Thomas flat out deserved to be on the team.  Period.  No way did Stockton deserve to be on the Dream Team over Isiah Thomas, not at that point of their careers, it wasn't even close.  On a team of iconic players, Isiah's name missing from the roster was a head-scratcher.  His best years may have been behind him, but so were Magic and Birds. 

Isiah felt the same - shortly after getting snubbed by the team, Isiah and his Detroit Pistons visited the Utah Jazz. Zeke let the Olympic Committee (and John Stockton) know what he felt about being left off the team - Isiah dropped 44pts.

Rumors flew that Michael Jordan secretly said that wouldn't play if Thomas was on the team, and for as great and legendary as Isiah Thomas is, well, that's Michael Jordan.  Scottie Pippen didn't help to quell any of the rumors by labeling Zeke a cheap-shot artist and that he wouldn't play on the Olympic team if Thomas was one of the two players added to fill out the squad. 

Then, in December 1991, some say in retaliation for Isiah embarassing Stockton, Karl Malone laid Isiah out as he drove into the lane.  Thomas laid in the lane, covering his head, and bleeding.  Thomas ended up needing 40 stitches over his left eye, had vision problems and headaches for two weeks thereafter.

From FoxSports.com - These conspiracies are hard to ignore
"9. Isiah Thomas is left off the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. Isiah Thomas should have been on the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. He should have been on the team even ahead of Michael Jordan. Jordan won Gold for the USA in 1984. Thomas didn't have that collegiate opportunity, because President Jimmy Carter pulled the plug on Thomas' chance when he stopped the United States from sending a team to Russia in 1980.

Wouldn't you think that a member of the 1980 team — and a two-time NBA champion still only 31 years old — would have been a rock-solid choice, especially considering the USA coach was Pistons head coach Chuck Daly? In this case, it might have been a conspiracy of one (Jordan) that left Thomas off."

Barkley's Angola Elbow:

Dream Team Derivatives:  The 1992 US Olympic Basketball Team, the "Dream Team" as they were dubbed, was formed packed with NBA superstars that were household names even in countries where basketball wasn't even a top-10 sport The Dream Team began as a phenomenon, filled with hall-of-fame household names that were not only fantastic ambassadors for the USA (except Charles Barkley) but respected legends that more often than not, were requested by their opponents to have their photos taken with them. Unfortunatly, the name "Dream Team" has not been associated with such respect and class ever since that legendary team, and mot likely, never will. The 1992 was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, never will a team come together with such a call to action, nor will any team be filled with such iconic legends as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan.

Whether future Dream Teams come home with the gold or not, so called Dream Teams that followed certainly didn't have the same en nothing more than a curse for US Basketball. It started were both

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