The Dream Team was the name given to the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team that was among the most dominant teams in sports history. The team featured an all-star roster of NBA superstars, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, and was widely regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time. The question of whether or not the Dream Team won gold at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 is an interesting one, as the team was not actually competing for the gold medal.
Background of the Dream Team
The NBA had been sending amateur teams to the Olympics since 1936, but the International Basketball Federation changed its rules in 1989, allowing professional players to compete. This opened the door for the creation of the Dream Team, which was composed of 11 NBA superstars and one college player. The roster included Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, and Christian Laettner.
The Dream Team was an immediate sensation. They had the highest average margin of victory in the history of Olympic basketball, with an average margin of 43.8 points. They were so dominant that they were even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the headline “The Greatest Team Ever Assembled”.
The Dream Team in the Barcelona Olympics
The Dream Team was the clear favorite to win gold at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. However, they were not actually competing for the gold medal. Instead, they were competing in a tournament format, with the gold medal going to the winner of the final game. The Dream Team easily won their opening game against Angola by a score of 116-48. They then went on to win their next seven games by an average of 44 points.
The Dream Team eventually faced Croatia in the gold medal game. Croatia was a formidable opponent, led by the NBA stars Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc, but the Dream Team was simply too strong. The final score was 117-85, with Michael Jordan leading the way with a game-high 20 points.
Conclusion
The Dream Team did not actually compete for the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, but they did win the gold medal by winning the final game against Croatia. They were simply too strong for their opponents, winning their eight games by an average of 44 points. The Dream Team was one of the most dominant teams in sports history, and they will always be remembered as one of the greatest teams ever assembled.