With the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics just 2 days away, we couldn’t help but remember one of the greatest teams ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team.
So, today’s lunch lit excerpt comes from Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever.
They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers, and in Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the team that captivated the world, kindled the hoop dreams of countless children around the planet, and remade the NBA into a global sensation. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the controversial selection process. He takes us inside the team’s Olympic suites for late-night card games and bull sessions. And he narrates a riveting possession-by-possession account of the legendary July 1992 intrasquad scrimmage that pitted the Dream Teamers against one another in what may have been the greatest pickup game—and the greatest exhibition of trash talk—in history.
The Dream Team was . . .
Michael Jordan, Guard, Chicago Bulls
Magic Johnson, Guard, Los Angeles Lakers
Larry Bird, Forward, Boston Celtics
Charles Barkley, Forward, Phoenix Suns
Chris Mullin, Forward, Golden State Warriors
Scottie Pippen, Forward, Chicago Bulls
John Stockton, Guard, Utah Jazz
Karl Malone, Forward, Utah Jazz
David Robinson, Center, San Antonio Spurs
Patrick Ewing, Center, New York Knicks
Christian Laettner, Forward, Duke University
Clyde Drexler, Guard, Portland Trailblazers
Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
Jack McCallum | HC: 978-0-345-52048-7 | eBook: 978-0-345-52050-0 | Ballantine Books