1992 OLYMPICS DREAM TEAM

Sitting (L-R): David Fischer, team physician; Scottie Pippen; Christian Laettner; Patrick Ewing; Chuck Daly, head coach; David Robinson; Karl Malone; Charles Barkley.

Standing (L-R): Mike Krzyzewski, assistant coach; Lenny Wilkens, assistant coach; Michael Jordan, Larry Bird; Earvin Johnson; Chris Mullin; Clyde Drexler; John Stockton; P. J. Carlesimo, assistant coach; Ed Lacerte, athletic trainer.

From the start they were penciled in as the 1992 Olympic gold medalist team. The media, their opponents, and fans of basketball all agreed that this team would be unbeatable. And it was.

Featuring basketball's best of the best, the U.S. men were never challenged as a new era of international basketball made its debut. International rules, which had previously prevented only NBA players from being eligible for Olympic basketball, were changed by the FIBA membership on April 7, 1989, by virtue of a 56-13 vote in favor of "open competition." With the rule change, USA Basketball set forth on its mission of assembling the best possible team, and what a team USA Basketball assembled!

Cruising through the Olympic qualifying tournament with an unblemished 6-0 record, the USA Olympic men's basketball team later strolled almost as easily past its Olympic opponents en route to an 8-0 record and the Olympic gold medal.

Opening against Angola, behind Barkley's 24 points the U.S. squad stomped to a one-sided 116-48 victory. Facing a talented Croatian team a day later, the "Dream Team" managed a 33-point win, 103-70. Jordan led the U.S. team with 21 points. The U.S. team had an easy time with a solid Germany team, rolling to a 111-68 victory as Bird, who had been bothered by a nagging back injury, returned to his All-Star form to lead the USA offensive attack with 19 points, while Karl Malone chipped in 18. While seven "Dream Team" members scored in double digits, Barkley (12-14 FGs) set a USA Olympic single game scoring record with 30 points as the USA crushed Brazil, 127-83. Closing out pool play against host Spain, the U.S. scored a convincing 122-81 victory.

Advancing to the quarterfinals, Mullin accounted for a team high 21 points as the USA easily defeated Puerto Rico, 115-77. Meeting Lithuania in the semifinals, a talent filled team that featured four of the top six scorers from the Soviet Union's 1988 Olympic gold medal winning team, the American team jumped out to 11-0 and 34-8 leads to quickly put this contest out of reach and went on to record an impressive 127-76 win as nine U.S. players scored in double figures.

Facing Croatia in the gold medal contest, the U.S. again prevailed in the rematch, this time winning by 32 points, 117-85. Jordan led the U.S. in the gold medal contest with 22 points, while Barkley and Ewing accounted for 17 and 15 points, respectively.

Averaging an Olympic record 117.3 points a game, the USA squad won by an average of 43.8 points and the closest any opponent could come was 32 points (117-85 versus Croatia in the gold medal game).

"You will see a team of professionals in the Olympics again," said USA coach Chuck Daly. "But I don't think you'll see another team quite like this. This was a majestic team."