Dream Team memories

The basketball community celebrates the 20th anniversary of the participation of American NBA players in the Olympic Games. It has been two decades since the greatest professional basketball players in the world first came together to reclaim the gold in men’s basketball which was lost in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

At the time, the US finished third in Olympic basketball in Korea, sending shockwaves through the NBA. It was only the second time that the US did not win the gold, including the infamous loss to the Soviets in 1972, when the game clock had been repeatedly reset after the final buzzer sounded. With European countries’ older, more experienced pro players beating the young American college players, Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone compared it to not being around when your little brother got beaten up. Basketball was then declared an open sport, allowing the NBA to field its best players. And the NBA’s best were chomping at the bit, raring to go.

Soon, the first ten players were called into service, and what a roster that was: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls, Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks, John Stockton and Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers, Chris Mullin of the Golden State Warriors, and David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs. Robinson was the only player left from the ‘88 team, and a member of the 1987 squad that was upset by Brazil in the Pan American Games when Oscar Schmidt scored 46 points. Christian Laettner of Duke was the token college player, chosen over Shaquille O’Neal of Louisiana State. Both would top the class of the 1992 NBA Rookie Draft.

That left one roster spot on this historic unit, and it came down to a choice between Portland Trailblazer guard Clyde Drexler and Detroit Piston leader Isaiah Thomas. Drexler was chosen because he blended in better, and allegedly in retaliation for Thomas’ supposedly keeping the ball away from Jordan in the latter’s first NBA All-Star Game. In comments much later, Jordan said it was not his idea, but was instead a condition given to him. This was doubly painful for Thomas, who was one of the stars of the ill-fated collegiate team to the Moscow Olympics, which America boycotted. But the celebration overshadowed the rumors,

especially since the Dream Team had to qualify for Barcelona by playing in the Tournament of the Americas in Portland, where Drexler was based. As an aside, Drexler recently claims he was misquoted in an upcoming Jack McCallum book on the Dream Team, where he supposedly said everyone was just “waiting for Magic to die”, and that Johnson was only included in the Dream Team out of pity because he had contracted the HIV virus.

I received a call from ABS-CBN, telling me that the network had acquired the rights to broadcast the Tournament of the Americas, and they asked me to do the commentary. I still recall the thrill I felt in the honor of being the first Philippine broadcaster to call the Dream Team’s games, and the first to cover their official entry into Olympic competition. Eight games were being covered. I realized the Dream Team was olymplaying five games. So I had to learn the names of all the teams, since the package included three non-US Games. Some of the countries had players who had three middle names. Even though I was sitting in a dimly-lit booth alone in a recording studio, I felt electricity going up and down my spine. To be able to say the words “Magic to Bird to Jordan!” for posterity was an unequalled thrill. On another play, Jordan had a fastbreak, but lobbed the ball off the backboard without looking, just so a trailing Pippen could swoop in for a dunk. I was having so much fun, it almost felt like contraband. I almost wished nobody else could watch the games, so I could keep the experience to myself.

In their debut game on June 28, 1992 the NBA Dream Team drowned a helpless Cuba, 136-57, prompting Cuban head coach Miguel Calderon Gomez to utter the immortal words, “You can’t block the sun with your finger.” That described the situation perfectly. And that was just the beginning. Even teams that had token NBA talent like Puerto Rico’s Jose Ortiz, were no match. The Dream Team would build huge leads in the first few minutes, and the rest of the game was showtime.

Within the team, there was also some friendly competition. In their closed-door scrimmages in Monaco prior to the Olympics, Magic and Jordan each had their team, and the competition between the two was mythic. The practices would turn out to be tougher than the actual competition.

There were many memorable sidelights to the Dream Team experience in the Barcelona Olympics that followed. Barkley elbowed an Angolan player half his girth, and explained that it showed he was serious. Players from other teams posing for pictures while guarding Magic and the other players as the Americans scratched their heads in amused disbelief. Stockton detailing how he was freely able to walk the streets of Barcelona unnoticed “like a normal person”. Bird challenged 6’8” five-time Olympian Brazilian shooter, demanding “I want you one-on-one in a French Lick!” Schmidt’s innocent response: “What is a French Lick?” And, of course, the highlights of those magnificent wins.

Other matters also had to be resolved, such as how most of the Dream Teamers would be able to wear the official USA Basketball track suit when they all had multimillion dollar contracts with various sportswear companies. That was resolved by having them drape American flags over their shoulders during the medal ceremony.

I stll have the original tournament program which has the Dream Team’s stats, and newspapers of the time. I managed to acquire a Magic Johnson USA Basketball jersey a few years later, and a few other collectibles. The memories of that team are still powerful.

There are reports that this may be the last time that the NBA will allow its players to play in the Olympic Games. There is too much risk, and there is no more awe. Other countries have beaten NBA talent before. And besides, the players can always volunteer. If Jordan could have a “love of the game” clause in his contract, why not a “love for country” clause in succeeding pacts?

The Dream Team is in the Hall of Fame. All the more then should we celebrate the breakthroughs the original (and for me, only) Team of its kind ever had. They tallied the largest winning margin in Olympic basketball history, never called a timeout, and were applauded even by their opposition. The second edition of the team went the reverse, they were considerd “ugly Americans” for their arrogance and crotch- grabbing. Whereas on the origial team, ten members were originally announced, for the Atlanta Olympics, ten members of “Dream Team II” were replaced, and veterans from the first team were brought back. Succeeding Olympic teams have not approximated the reverence for the Dream Team and the team’s own respect for the game, and the dignity with which they carried themselves. The International DJ Association ( IDA) Philippines would like to thank the sponsors of “Freedom of Movements” held at the SM Mall of Asia Saturday. The event featured the country’s best DJs, graffitti artists and B-Boys and was hosted by Mike Swift, sponsored by Team Manila, Erase Plantcenta, District Tattoo, Hardball, Basketball TV and Alvin Mapantay.