1992 United States Olympic Team

In April of 1989, FIBA, the international governing body of basketball, passed a landmark agreement that called for the inclusion of America’s professional basketball players in the Olympic Games. While hardly earth-shattering news at the time of the announcement, FIBA’s mandate paved the way for USA Basketball to assemble the Dream Team, the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet. When the Dream Team arrived in Barcelona, Spain, the entire world watched as the Americans crushed the opposition. One by one, foreign states crumbled under the weight of a lineup that included names like Michael, Magic, Bird, and Charles. Games were blowouts early as opponents seemed content just to share the court with basketball’s royal family. The Dream Team cruised to the gold medal, winning games by an average margin of almost 44 points. Reaching the century mark every game, Chuck Daly never even called a timeout. Once past the adulation, the international world responded with a commitment to elevate its game to another level and a new era was born.