clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Favorite Olympic Moment - 1992 Dream Team

Radio host Steve Czaban does a feature during football season that I enjoy way too much -- Small School Beatdowns of the Week. Czaban combs the results of each weekend's games to find the most lopsided scores from Division II, Division III and NAIA games. Scores like Ashland 87, Lake Erie 17.

If I stumbled upon a game like that on one of the obscure sports channels available on Verizon FIOS (add the Pac-12 Networks, already!), I'd put down the remote and savor the ridiculousness of it all.

The original Dream Team, while sharing no qualities with a small school, delivered some serious beatdowns at the 1992 Olympics. For a 9-year-old who loved basketball and the good old U-S-A, it was a thing of beauty to watch. I have fond memories of watching track and field events from the Barcelona Games with my grandfather, but it was the Americans' dominance in basketball -- and Lithuania's tie-dyed apparel -- that I remember most.

Jordan, Bird, Magic, Barkley and Co. opened the Olympics by squeaking by Angola, 116-48. Croatia put up more of a fight in the Americans' second game, but the Dream Team was never seriously challenged en route to winning the gold medal.

The debate today is whether the 2012 Dream Team could take the 1992 version. My initial thought is no way, though MJ, Barkley and others have put on some weight.

I was happy to see Lithuania qualified for London. It won't quite feel like 1992 all over again, but Team USA -- even without Blake Griffin -- should be fun to watch.

What's your favorite Olympic moment?

***

Celebrate the most compelling moments in Summer Games history with 'Memorable Moments' on Yahoo! Sports. Re-live moments such as Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10s in Montreal, Michael Phelps' record eight gold medals in Beijing, Carl Lewis' unforgettable four gold medals in Los Angeles, the spectacular success of the 1992 US Dream Team, Muhammad Ali in Rome and Atlanta, and any more!

These special moments are showcased through exclusive video, iconic photos, and stories on Yahoo!'s hub dedicated to the coverage of the Games. Enjoy the unique storytelling from Yahoo! Sports' award-winning writers and experts, as well as through the lens of Yahoo!'s users themselves.

Check out Memorable Moments on Yahoo! Sports!