Before the Olympic and mythical epic of Barcelona, this ” DreamTeam first took shape in late June 1992 in Portland. The famous Sports Illustrated photo therefore became reality on June 28, 1992, during the first match of the Tournament of the Americas, a qualifier for the Barcelona Olympics.
First adversary, and therefore first victim: Cuba.
Cubans take photos before the game!
From that day, the legend of the “Dream Team” begins with the stories and anecdotes that go with it. Before the match, the Cuban players approach Kim Bohuny, responsible for relations with the international teams, to take photos with the players.
Kim Bohuny replies that it will be possible after the match, but the Cubans insist on doing it before! Chuck Daly, the coach of the “Dream Team”, is not really thrilled but finally, he accepts. The players therefore take the opportunity to take as many photos as possible. A moment of eternity for them and a tasty anecdote, symbolic of the immense popularity of this team. It will be increased tenfold in Barcelona, in the Olympic context.
“It was weird” Judge Charles Barkley. “But let’s move on… We won’t be friends during the match. »
Larry Bird gets the ball rolling
Fans are waiting to see this All-Star team finally hit the court. Child of the country, the Blazer Clyde Drexler will be the most applauded in front of the legends Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird.
The starting five is sublime: Magic, Jordan, Bird, Charles Barkley and David Robinson. Looking back, that’s 12 regular season MVP trophies and 16 league titles staring at you….
For the record, we will remember that it was Larry Bird who scored the first official basket of the “Dream Team”. The collective machine is oiled, efficient, easy. The meeting is over (did it have a chance of being contested?) from the first seconds and the half-time score seems unreal: 67-27! Cuba does not have the weapons to face the best players in the world, despite attempts at defending the zone.
But what to do with such an armada? The victory is overwhelming: 136-57! 79 points difference! Everyone shone with a balanced mark: Magic Johnson compiles 4 points and 9 assists, Larry Bird adds 17 points and Michael Jordan is content with 6 points. Among NBA players (let’s not forget that Christian Laettner – 9 points – was a university student), Charles Barkley finished as the game’s leading scorer with 22 points in 22 minutes. This already announces his future domination in scoring during the Olympic tournament.
Sol Invictus
Inevitably, the coach of Cuba is admiring of the demonstration received. A solar slap.
“He’s a basketball machine. A perfect basketball machine », explains Miguel Calderon Gomez. “Only another NBA team would have a chance. We had no chance. As they say in Cuba, you can’t hide the sun with a finger. »
The Americans not only unrolled a talented basketball, they put the forms, the will, to warn the whole world. They want to take back the crown of “their” sport, abandoned in 1988 in Seoul.
“We wanted to set the tone”says Charles Barkley. “We had nothing against foreign teams… They make better cars, better TV shows, even better cigars, but we wanted to prove that we had the best team in the world. We have a patent for basketball. »
The sequel is known to all. Better still, it is now inscribed in the history of the sport.
