Life in 1992 was different. For me, for the nation, for the whole damn world! You didn't have to take off your shoes to get on a plane back then. And no one really knew that grunge was going to fade away, replaced by boy bands and colour-by-numbers techno-poetry. In 1992, Americans elected a better president than we'd seen in many years or have seen since. Also, for the first time, NBA stars were permitted to play in the Olympics.
I remember watching the so-called "Dream Team." Said term has since been cheapened to death with reference to subsequent Olympic basketball teams. The Barcelona team was truly special and could have easily defeated any US team that followed. Even the self-important 2012 team. As I said earlier, much is different about 1992 and 2012.
Critics have written that despite the 1992 team's invincibility, they were less a team than an All-Star squad. A collection of legends who overcame any incohesion with raw strength and talent. The 2012 team, despite their MUCH higher dickhead-to-talent ratio, was a tighter unit. They had seen quasi-NBA All-Star teams go to the Olympics and perform nowhere near as well as their 1992 predecessors. The 2012 team had seen fail and they knew that without a bona fide Jordan, Bird, Johnson, Ewing, etc., functioning as a unit was imperative.
Remember, kids. When you're assembling a group and you don't have so vast a selection of individuals from whom to choose that a star like Clyde Drexler seems like an afterthought, it is essential to function as a team. Not an over-talented collection of individuals.
