What the 1992 Olympic Dream Team United States now looks like

What the 1992 Olympic Dream Team United States now looks like

In 1989, the International Basketball Federation took the first steps to allow professional basketball players to compete in international tournaments such as the Olympic Games. This has erupted with the long-standing tradition of games being a display of amateur athletic talent only. It also meant that the US Men's Basketball Alignment was to be absolutely ridiculously packed with talent, forming a super-team for ages made of big NBA that was quickly dubbed "the dream team."

The team experienced the hype. Basketball fans all over the world (not just in America) went wild for 12-man lineup that would feature Michael Jordan playing alongside Magic Johnson playing alongside Larry Bird, ad Infinity. (Even the guys at the back of the list, like Chris Mullin and Scottie Pippen, were already legends of the NBA.) And when they took the court in Barcelona, ​​the dream team did not disappoint, goes 8- 0 in the Olympic game, winning every game an average of 43.8 points, and fixing the gold medal after routing Croatia 117 to 85.

The 12 players have long since retired from the game. Here's a look at what the dream team has been up to in the last 20-odd years.

1 Being like Mike (because he's a billionaire)

Perhaps you have heard of Michael Jordan, probably the most famous American athlete of all time. He absolutely dominated the NBA in the 1980s and early 1990s, guiding the Chicago Bulls to six league championships, while leading the NBA scoring 10 times and collecting five MVP awards. Certainly one of the most entertaining players to watch, "Air Jordan" seemed to violate the laws of physics as it drove to the time of the hoop after time with its dazzling and acrobatic movements. (Which is nothing to say about his starring role in Space Jam.)

Jordan was so good and so popular that he was handsomely rewarded for his efforts, both as a player and as a celebrity endorser paid for Mcdonald's, Franks Ball Park, and especially Nike. The Air Jordans line started players-having-their-own-footwear mania-these kicks still earn him about $ 100 million a year, much more than the $ 94 million he's earned in total as a player. Today, Jordan is literally a billionaire, and he ranks as the richest third-African-American, lagging behind only Oprah Winfrey and venture capitalist Robert Smith. In 2010, Jordan became the major player in the Charlotte Hornet (nee Bobcats), making him the first former NBA player to have a team. It's so impressive, it almost makes you forget this time, he tried to be a minor league baseball player.

2 Bird is the word

Probably the least flashy superstar in basketball history, Larry Bird had a fun college rivalry with the showiest Magic Johnson, who was expanding to the NBA and made the league exponentially more popular. Bird's Boston Celtics faced the Los Angeles Lakers of Johnson three times in the NBA Finals in the 1980s. By 1992, Bird's legendary career was approaching an early end, assailed as the little striker was through problems persistent back. Bird's last game on a basketball court was the gold medal match of the 1992 Olympics; He retired from the NBA a week later. But he was the king of the fundamentals, and he won so many championships (three in all) that the bird's guiding hand was heavily sought after in retirement. He was then coach of the Indiana Pacers for three seasons (1998-2000), passing after guiding the team to a final NBA defeat to (who else?) The Lakers. From there, he has been the President of Pacers Basketball Operations for over a decade.

3 Do you believe in magic?

The site of NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson on an Olympic podium packed an emotional punch. Less than a year before the 1992 games in Barcelona, ​​Johnson retired abruptly from the NBA after announcing that he was SERIOUS. With the world still in the dark ages regarding perceptions and management of the potentially fatal condition, it has been widely assumed that Johnson would never play again and he could even die soon. In the years since, he has not only survived but thrived.

Over the past two decades, Johnson has built a business empire, which has included more than 100 Starbucks locations, a few Burger King franchises, Magic Johnson Theaters, and an investment business. It's a lot to keep a guy busy (and financially fixed for life), but he also dabbled on TV (his Talk Show, the magic hour, lasted two months on the air) and coaching ( he scored a 5-11 record as Interim Coach Lakers). In 2017, Johnson, who led the "Showtime" Era Lakers at five NBA Championships, became the President of the Operations basketball team. It was in this capacity that he managed (and personally) drew LeBron James to the team.

4 David Robinson has been the impetus of every moment

They say that the military school (and the service) teaches the deep discipline necessary to achieve great things in life, and David Robinson is proof of that. The San Antonio Spurs Grand attended the United States Naval Academy and deferred playing in the NBA because he had to finish his military service. Once he arrived at the NBA, his leadership and naval background earned him the nickname "Admiral". he also proved that it was worth the wait, named to ten All-Star teams and selected as MVP of the League in 1995, leading the NBA scoring in 1994, and guiding the Spurs to two Champio nships. He retired immediately after winning the second in 2003. As for the Olympics go, Robinson won three times for the USA Basketball-Golds in 1992 and 1996, after a bronze comeback in 1988.

After his playing career ended, Robinson just kept on reaching a very high level. He earned a Master of Arts in Administration degree as a way to help him better manage his many activities, including the sculptor, the San Antonio School Charter he co-founded, and the Real Estate Capital Fund, a commercial real estate company is worth as much as $ 100 million. He also owns a Jaguar and Land Rover dealer 

5 The round mound of NBA analysis

Charles Barkley possessed one of the most over-sized personalities in NBA history, so it's easy to overlook his remarkable stats. He is one of only four players (alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Karl Malone) to amass 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists, making Barkley one of the best and the best. more versatile players forever hit the court. The 11-time All-Star won the NBA MVP Award in 1993 with the Phoenix Suns, which he joined after a long championship period without a warrant in Philadelphia left him frustrated.

Barkley, aka "Bread Truck," aka "Food World," aka "The Crisco Kid," aka "Round Bounce Mound" (he was one of the beefiest stars in the NBA, you see), is probably the most consistently visible member of the dream team today. He softened considerably from his NBA days, when he was an aggressive power forward who publicly flogged on his disgust for the way he was supposed to act as a role model for children, now voraciously, but in a good mood ribs his companions panel on the inside of the NBA, TNT's pre- / mid- / post-game show. He is also pretty much the best guest athlete host in SNL history, hitting the show for the fourth time in 2018 because, as he says in his monologue, "no reason." he is even considered political, almost running for governor of his home state of Alabama in 2008.

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6 The delivered factor

Everyone called Karl Malone "the postman" because, like those noble mailers of the United States Postal Service, Malone "delivered" virtually every day of his career. Outside of his rookie year and last year, his points average per game never fell below 20. Twice a most valuable NBA player, he scored a total of 36,928 points, second on the list of all time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Malone Tops lists two free-throw attempts and defensive rebounds, adding to the argument that he's probably the best player in NBA history to ever win a championship.

No one on the Court had more excitement than Malone did, and few ex-players work so hard or so much as Malone did after quitting. He retired, but only from the NBA. Among the things Malone has been getting up to since his days of play ended in 2004: owning a chain of lubricating turners, a used car dealer, a new car dealership, a Burger Kings couple, a gas station , an auto parts store, an auto body shop, and a commercial real estate company. Born and raised in rural Louisiana, Malone has always benefited from "country life," and today he has his own cattle ranch, a few thousand acres of forest land, and a farmhouse. deer. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association and takes paid guests for hunting trips.

7 John Stockton continues to help

John Stockton, the conscientious, longtime Utah Jazz Point Guard, was probably the hardest working guy in the NBA. Relatively small (he was standing a little over 6 feet tall), Stockton teamed up with Karl Malone for a one-two punch that helped to systematically propel jazz to the playoffs, which included two appearances in the NBA Finals. He retired in 2003, and he is still the all-time leader in aids, with 15,806. (He led the league in this stat for a staggering nine consecutive seasons.) Stockton was a decent scorer, but the dream team had enough basket-makers-it needed the greatest Gonzaga University player ever produced to set up those shots.

After his 19-year NBA career wrapped up, Stockton returned to his native Pacific Northwest and quietly coached a lot of basketball. At one point, as he told Sports Illustrated, he helped with "seven or eight teams at a time," including high school and youth squads. In 2015, Stockton joined the management staff of Montana State University as an assistant coach for the women's team.

8 Scottie tenacious by the misfortunes of money

Michael Jordan could not win six titles alone - he literally could not do it without Scottie Pippen. The second undisputed option for the Chicago Bulls would have been the undisputed star on any other team, seeing that the way he regularly averaged 20 points per game (and was among the best in the League of Thieves ball, too much). Pippen left the Windy City for stays in Houston and Portland before stepping off the court for good in 2004 ... at least in North America. He came out of retirement briefly to play in Scandinavia at 42.

The poor guy has also lost a lot of money. His financial advisor, Robert Lunn, was sentenced to three years in jail for committing various acts of fraud, including forging Pippen's signature for a $ 1.4 million loan to himself. In a horrific incident in 2013, Pippen allegedly assaulted a man outside a Malibu, California, Sushi place because he wanted a picture with the NBA legend. In lighter news, Pippen recently played a cameo role as himself on an episode of the TV version of the deadly weapon.

9 Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing has never won this elusive championship ring, but he was indisputably among the NBA elite, a former record of the year and 11-time All-Star who reached the final twice with the New York Knicks. In his 15 years with the team, he averaged a double-double: 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

Before his NBA (and Olympic) storied career, Ewing had a legendary run at Georgetown University in the 1980s, leading the hoyas to a national title and earning himself honors as a National University player of the year. He also grabbed himself a place in the history books that the # 1 pick in the 1985 NBA draft. Ewing played for John Thompson (who coached the hoyas for 27 seasons), and in 2017, shortly after school shot his son, John Thompson III, Georgetown turned the clock over and hired Ewing to be the head coach of the men's team. "It's great to be the head coach in Georgetown," Ewing said. "It's great to be a head coach, period." After retiring from play in 2002, Ewing had come very close to becoming a head coach in the NBA, but he never got his shot , sitting down-bench like an assistant in Washington, Houston, Orlando, and Charlotte. Go get them, Patrick.

10 Clyde slipped into a beautiful life in Houston

Clyde "The Glide" Drexler and his smooth playing style prevented the rest of the NBA from forgetting that there was a team all the way to Portland, Oregon, and sometimes he gave Michael Jordan a run for his money as one of the best shooters in the league. The average 10-time All-Star averaged up to 27.2 points per game at its peak with the blazers, and during his 14-year stint in the NBA, a team with Drexler on it never missed playoffs. In 1995, the Trail Blazers got rid of Drexler, the shopkeeper at the Houston Rockets. But it was essentially a return to the Drexler-with the University of Houston, Drexler had made two finals four appearances back in 1982 and 1983. In addition, Drexler was reunited with his former college teammate, Hall Olajuwon, and he came to H-Town just in time to help the team win his second straight NBA title.

After retiring in 1998, Drexler stayed in Houston, where he helped with world-famous Drexler bar-B-que, a local institution founded in 1967 by Drexler's uncle. In addition to managing his real estate firm, Drexler Holdings, the Glide also does not get too far from the rockets-it still provides color comments for home-game shows.

11 Yes, Chris Mullin still has the flattop

Before the current era of the Golden State Warriors, in which the team seems to have all future Hall of Fame on its roster at once, the last golden age for the team came to an end from the '80s and early' 90s, when he was a formidable opponent for Western conference powers like the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah jazz thanks to guys like Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway, and most importantly, Chris Mullin .

The All-Star Small Forward averaged 18.2 points per game over his career (1985-2001), where he was proficient at nailing three pointers and free throws. After years with the warriors and a stint with the Indiana Pacers, Mullin played his last season back in Golden State. He soon joined the Front Office team, but in 2015 he went "Home Again" once again, as he was. Mullin took the lead of the men's basketball team at St. John's University, Queens, New York, where he played in the '80s.

12 Good try, University boy

Before the dream team, the US Basketball Squad included the best amateurs in the country, which means college players. As a nod to this story, the team's organizers chose a collegiate star: Christian Laettner. The Two-time All-American helped bring two national titles to his school, and in 1992 the associate press named him Player of the Year shortly after a season where he scored an average of 21.5 points per match. Laettner had the numbers to earn her spot at the Olympics, but some basketball fans at the time were confused that Laettner got the call on college contemporaries like the kind and mourning Alonzo ... feelings that have grew more justified when O'Neal and grieving became NBA Superstars and Laettner did not. He made the All-Star Squad just once on a 13-season career where he played for six different teams and averaged a respectable 12.8 points per game.

Usually, when the name of Laettner made the headlines, it was for something embarrassing and financial. In 2012, outlets reported that Laettner Real Estate Development Career was in great trouble-expanding too fast and the real estate bubble burst left it as much as $ 30 million in debt. Faced with bankruptcy and angry creditors by 2016, Laettner reached a settlement to pay $ 10 million to the people he owed money to, some of them former teammates and friends, such as Duke Johnny Dawkins and dream companion of the Scottie Pippen team.

13 A coach to govern them all

By 1992, there were certainly plenty of candidates in the NBA and in the college ranks with the necessary curriculum vitae and skills to lead the Olympic dream team-Pat Riley, Larry Brown, and Mike Krzyzewski, for none name only a few. But the job went to Chuck Daly, veteran pistol coach of Detroit and the extremely aggressive style architect who won his team's "Bad Boys" moniker and reputation. Daly's pistons won two consecutive NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, and two years later, the coach guided the team on his easy way to a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. (How easy? Daly never had to call a time-out.)

After Barcelona, ​​Daly returned to the NBA, but with New Jersey jets instead of pistons. Daly led the generally humble net to back-to-back playoff matches before retiring for the first time. In 1997, the magic of Orlando drew him back for a few more years. Unfortunately, in 1999 Daly died at the age of 78, shortly after starting treatment for pancreatic cancer.

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