The First Appearance of the U.S. Men’s Basketball “Dream Team.”
The increasing presence of pro athletes at the Olympics reached its pinnacle with the appearance of active NBA players on the U.S. men’s basketball team. Featuring NBA stars Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley, the “Dream Team” (as it was dubbed) has been touted as the “greatest sports team ever assembled” by sports journalists.
The team dominated every game it was in—scoring more than 100 points per game and outscoring opponents by an average of 43.8 points. The team won the gold medal after defeating Croatia and is credited with increasing global interest in basketball.