Michael Jordan-led Dream Team’s rise comes after eight-year drought, former teammates reveal 1 reason behind iconic win

Team USA has won consecutive Olympic basketball gold medals for the past 30 years. This streak began when the 1992 Olympic Dream Team completely dominated their opponents. But in 1988, Team USA struggled at the Olympics. The team did not have the best talent in the NBA that year. As a result, they dropped to third place and had to settle for bronze. This caused a backlash from the media and fans.

This resulted in Team USA fielding its best team at the time for the 1992 Olympics. Among the 12 players on the team, 9 are NBA players that season. Although the team dominated the entire competition, there were many details behind the scenes that led to the team’s success.

The Secret to a Dream Team’s Success

Scottie Pippen was in Australia recently. In an interview with ESPN, Australian big man Luke Longley was asked about Scottie Pippen and what his best traits are as a player. Longley said Pippen’s greatest attribute was his generosity on the court and how he took care of his teammates.

Pippen went on to explain why Longley might feel that way about him. Pippen said: “I think it was just part of my process growing up and learning the game of basketball.“

Scottie Pippen talks about the importance of teamwork. This game is not a personal confrontation. It’s always one team against another team. So players have to understand that and play selflessly.

Pippen said: “There is an old saying that there is no “I” in a team. I learned this very quickly and understood that if you want to be successful, there is no room for individual glory unless the team succeeds.“

According to him, there was nothing selfish in the Dream Team. They all know their goals. Losing to another team is unacceptable. Therefore, in order to regain the lost crown, they all focus on the goal, which is to win the gold medal.

How Michael Jordan sacrificed for his team’s success

In 1992, Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game in the NBA. But he knows the importance of playing with the team and sacrificing in order for the team to win in the Olympics.

I averaged less than 15 points per game on the Dream Team. But the team as a whole beat all its opponents by an average of 44 points. Every player was given his piece and the team showed complete dominance. Charles Barkley is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 18 points per game.

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Team USA is about to form another super team at the next Olympics, and they should try to use the Dream Team approach to selflessly win gold.