In 1992, the original United States men’s basketball ‘Dream Team‘ won the gold medal at the Barcelona Summer Olympics, 117-85 over Croatia. The basketball legends Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing were all on the team.
For the first time in Olympic history, the United States would have active National Basketball Association (NBA) players. The team got their nickname, ‘Dream Team’ because they went undefeated for eight games and won against their opponents by an average of 44 points.
From the twelve players that were on the roster, ten of them were named on the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Two players, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, became the first players to win both NBA Championships and an Olympic gold medal in the same year.Â
Charles Barkley led the team with 16.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. Michael Jordan had the most impact on the game along with globalizing the game of basketball. International players became a huge part of the game as well.Â
Team USA has dominated the Olympic Basketball games with their professional players. The team has won a total of five gold medals since the ‘Dream Team’ and only lost once in the 2004 games when the team finished with a bronze medal.
The Dream Team was inducted into the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Fame in 2010 for its outstanding records and their players’ careers.
