Inside the ‘Dream Team’: A complete roster & history of USA’s 1992 Olympic men’s basketball team
Dream Team 1992 Olympic: The 1992 United States men’s basketball team is one of the greatest basketball rosters ever assembled.
That is why the legacy of the “Dream Team” — which has been brought to light again with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary — still carries on almost 30 years later.
The team did not just win the gold medal. It left an impact both in the United State and globally that the game of basketball benefits from today, and put up some insane numbers while doing it.
Here is everything you need to know about the 1992 U.S. men’s basketball team:
How they Form the Team
The Olympic Games were originally intended only for amateur players. As a result, the United States could only use college players and had to build a national team from scratch every four years, as all American players turned pro after the Games and thus were no longer available for selection. On the other hand, the Communist countries (mainly the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia) used full-time professionals who were given phantom jobs to circumvent the amateur rules. Unlike the Americans, the Soviets fielded experienced veterans who played together for years. This culminated in the 1988 Summer Olympics, where the Americans lost to the USSR and settled for bronze, tied for the worst finish with the 2004 Summer Olympics.FIBA, international basketball’s governing body, believed that the rules were unfair and changed them, allowing USA Basketball to field teams with National Basketball Association players, over Soviet votes against the proposal. FIBA Secretary General Borislav Stanković advocated for this for years.
‘Dream Team’ roster, 1992 Olympics
USA Basketball Men’s National Team rosterPlayersCoaches
| Pos. | # | Name | Age | Height | Weight | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PF | 4 | Laettner, Christian | 22 | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Duke Blue Devils |
| C | 5 | Robinson, David | 26 | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | San Antonio Spurs |
| C | 6 | Ewing, Patrick | 29 | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | New York Knicks |
| SF | 7 | Bird, Larry | 35 | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Boston Celtics |
| SF | 8 | Pippen, Scottie | 26 | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Chicago Bulls |
| SG | 9 | Jordan, Michael | 29 | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | Chicago Bulls |
| SG | 10 | Drexler, Clyde | 30 | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 222 lb (101 kg) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| PF | 11 | Malone, Karl | 28 | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 256 lb (116 kg) | Utah Jazz |
| PG | 12 | Stockton, John | 30 | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Utah Jazz |
| SF | 13 | Mullin, Chris | 28 | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Golden State Warriors |
| PF | 14 | Barkley, Charles | 29 | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Phoenix Suns |
| PG | 15 | Johnson, Magic | 32 | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Los Angeles Lakers[55] |
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Tournament of the Americas Results
| Game | Date | USA Points | Opponent Points | Opponent | Point differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 28, 1992 | 136 | 57 |  Cuba | 79 |
| 2 | June 29, 1992 | 105 | 61 |  Canada | 44 |
| 3 | June 30, 1992 | 112 | 52 |  Panama | 60 |
| 4 | July 1, 1992 | 128 | 87 |  Argentina | 41 |
| 5 | July 3, 1992 | 119 | 81 |  Puerto Rico | 38 |
| 6 | July 5, 1992 | 127 | 80 |  Venezuela(Gold medal game) | 47 |
Olympics results
The team was again undefeated, with their closest outing being the 32-point victory over Croatia for the gold medal.[6]
| Game | USA Points | Opponent Points | Opponent | Point differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 116 | 48 |  Angola | 68 |
| 2 | 103 | 70 |  Croatia | 33 |
| 3 | 111 | 68 |  Germany | 43 |
| 4 | 127 | 83 |  Brazil | 44 |
| 5 | 122 | 81 |  Spain | 41 |
| 6 | 115 | 77 | Puerto Rico | 38 |
| 7 | 127 | 76 |  Lithuania | 51 |
| 8 | 117 | 85 | Croatia (Gold medal game) | 32 |
‘Dream Team’ roster, 1992 Olympics
Dream Team 1992 Olympic : The cover preceded the selection show on Sept. 21, 1991, when the first 10 members of the “Dream Team” were announced.
Here’s the full roster of the 1992 “Dream Team” (in alphabetical order):
- Charles Barkley, PF, Phoenix Suns
The 11-time All-Star won NBA MVP honors in 1993 with the Phoenix Suns.
- Larry Bird, SF, Boston Celtics
The three-time NBA champion and three-time MVP was 35 years old.
- Patrick Ewing, C, New York Knicks
The 7-foot center was a 11-time All-Star with the New York Knicks.
- Magic Johnson, PG, Los Angeles Lakers
Johnson, a five-time NBA champion and three-time MVP, played on the team despite abruptly retiring in 1991 after contracting HIV.
- Michael Jordan, SG, Chicago Bulls
Jordan was a six-time NBA champion, five-time MVP and a member of the gold-medal team in 1984.
- Karl Malone, PF, Utah Jazz
Malone was a 14-time All-Star and two-time MVP who ranks in NBA history in points scored.
- Chris Mullin, SF, Golden State
Mullin was a five-time All-Star and won of the best shooters of the 1990s.
- Scottie Pippen, SF, Chicago
Pippen was a six-time NBA champion and seven-time All-Star as Jordan’s wingman in Chicago.
- David Robinson, C, San Antonio
“The Admiral” was the 1995 NBA MVP and a two-time NBA champion with the Spurs.
- John Stockton, PG, Utah
The 10-time All-Star is the NBA’s all-time leader in assists.
The “Dream Team” later added two more players to fill out the roster, including one player from the NCAA:
- Clyde Drexler, SG, Portland
Drexler was a 10-time All-Star who later won a NBA championship with Houston in 1995.
- Christian Laettner, PF, Duke
The lone college player on the team led Duke to back-to-back national championships in 1991-92.
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