Reflections on "The Dream Team" & Their 20 Year Anniversary

Twenty years ago this month is the anniversary of one of the greatest teams assembled in the history of basketball.  The Dream Team.  A team that was comprised of players who were Hall of Famers and arguably some of the greatest of all time on one team, playing for Team USA in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

The history of the Dream Team goes back to the previous Summer Olympics in 1988.  In those Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Team USA finished 3rd.  At the time, that was the worst showing for a USA men's basketball team in the Olympics.  Previously they had won gold in every Olympics that had basketball as a medal sport (aside from the controversial 1972 Munich games).  That coupled with the rule passed by FIBA (the international governing body) that allowed NBA players to play in international tournaments set the stage for the Dream Team.

Growing up during this time, I was a huge NBA fan.  And why not?  The players I got to see in their prime was a who's who of Hall of Famers.  So when hearing about they were going to allow NBA stars to play in the Olympics, I was super excited.  The roster was stacked to say the least:  Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler and Christian Laettner.  I remember that aside from Laettner, I was happy with the guys that made it (I personally thought that Shaquille O'Neal should've been the college representative).

I remember the buildup was huge.  There were Team USA merchendise everywhere.  I think somewhere I still have the Starting Lineup figures of the entire Dream Team roster along with the cups from McDonalds that they gave away with Extra Value Meals.

The team itself did not disappoint.  They steamrolled through the competition on the way to a gold medal.  Not only that, they made a cultural imprint on the game of basketball.  Their impact played a role in more internationals getting involved in basketball and eventually playing in the NBA.

The numbers speak for themselves.  11 of the 12 players (the lone exception being Laettner) and 3 of the 4 coaches (Chuck Daly, Lenny Wilkens & Mike Krzyzewski) are in the Basketball Hall of Fame as individuals and the team itself was enshrined in 2010.  Every Olympic team since has been compared to that team.  I don't think there will be another "Dream Team".  They were a one of a kind team.