1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team

As Dream Team, the U.S. basketball team was named at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, ​​which won the gold medal in a superior manner. The team considered the largest collection of individual talents in basketball history.

Background in sports

Prior to the Games in 1992 for basketball then accepted amateur rule of the International Olympic Committee was abolished. This allowed the U.S. team, which previously made ​​up in each case of young college players to compete for the first time with a selection of the best players in the U.S. professional league NBA.

The Super star-studded team dominated the competition, as expected, to taste. The "Dream Team " won all games by a large margin. Thus, the margin of victory in the semifinal against Lithuania, which had four reigning Olympic champion from the Soviet era in its ranks, at the end of 51 points. At the narrowest it was still in the final against Croatia, when the U.S. team with 32 points won distance. The Croatian team was led by Dražen Petrović, who had stars like Toni Kukoč, Dino Rađa and Stojan Vranković at his side. Nevertheless, the team had no chance in both games against the Americans. Throughout the tournament the sporting management of the U.S. selection took not a single break.

The gameplay of the Dream Team was marked by a strong man coverage and many quick attacks, mainly as a result of numerous ball gains on the defensive. The weak throw percentage of each opponent in conjunction with the rebound superiority of the Americans was crucial in every game for the victory.

Emergence of the term " Dream Team"

Even before the tournament got into media and the public world, the term " Dream Team" as a synonym for the U.S. team through. Two main reasons may have led to the unusual name: For the first time in history, the best U.S. American professional basketball player could compete in the same national team. This first-time consolidation of the traditional scattered in the NBA on a lot of teams Stars took place at a date to be regarded by many as the largest collection of superstars in NBA history. The older " legends " of the 1980s, such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird met with younger stars like Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan.

The team was largely removed from the context of sport in public discourse since the victory from the outset has been assumed to be safe. Sporty turned most the question of the level of success.

Continuing influence of the term

In the following years the internationally occurring U.S. basketball teams have been in the media continue to as a " dream team ", however, are designated with consecutive numbering, " Dream Team II " for the team in the 1994 World Cup, "Dream Team III " in Atlanta 1996 etc. the expectations of the audience remained correspondingly large. While the U.S. team was ten years undefeated, but nevertheless was a growing discrepancy between the term "Dream Team" - the suggested a loose playful dominance - and the actual performances of the USA will soon no longer be overlooked: The superiority of the U.S. game waned, the results were scarce. The series defeat in the 2002 World Cup in their own country, which ended for the USA with a disappointing 6th place, destroyed the myth of the "Dream Team " then irrevocable.

The fading of myth "Dream Team" is, ironically, however, closely linked to the success of the original " Dream Team " of Barcelona. The Olympic basketball tournament in 1992 is considered by many historians basketball as a kind of "international Big Bang of Basketball ", since the "Dream Team " a huge boost in popularity worldwide for the basketball sports triggered.

The players of the "Dream Team"

The U.S. team led some of the most famous American basketball player of all time together, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Except for Chris Mullin and former college players Christian Laettner all players of the " Dream Team " was elected in 1996 in the selection of the "50 best NBA players of all time ", and except Laettner they were all on their career in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as three of the four coaches (all except Carlesimo ). On 13 August 2010, the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team has been picked up by 1992 as a team in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The line-up:

As head coach Chuck Daly acted, his assistant coach Lenny Wilkens were, PJ Carlesimo and Mike Krzyzewski.

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