30 years later: How the Dream Team changed the NBA forever for international players

The men’s team USA of 1992known simply as the dream team, I went to Barcelona Olympics with high expectations. It was arguably the greatest collection of talent in the history of the sport, as the team featured many Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

It didn’t take long for the collection of American stars to show that expectations weren’t high enough. The Dream Team crushed all opponents that stood in their waygoing a perfect 8-0 and defeating Croatia by 32 points in the Olympia final to win the gold medal on August 8, 1992.

“You will be able to see a professional team again in the Olympics” said Team USA coach Chuck Daly. “But I don’t think you’ll see another team like this. That was a great team.”

But its impact The Dream Team surpassed their dominance on the field. He introduced the ultimate quality to the sport to an up and coming generation of international players.

As Juan Antonio Samaráns, former president of the International Olympic Committee, said at the time, “The most important thing about the Games was the resounding success of the basketball tournament, since we have seen the best in the world.”

Thirty years after the members of the Dream Team put gold medals around their necks, their impact is still felt.

The rise of international players after the Dream Team

at the beginning of the season 1991-1992, there were 23 international players from 18 countries on NBA teams. By the start of the 2011-2012 season the number had risen to 74, coming from 35 different countries.

A decade later, on its opening night 2021-2022 campaign, there were 109 international names from 39 different places. Only the Raptors they had 10 Non-American-born players on its roster, nearly half of the NBA’s total between 1991 and 1992.

However, the international boom was not just a matter of quantity. Many of these athletes born outside the United States have achieved incredible levels of success in their careers.

Hakeem Olajuwon He made history in 1993-1994 by becoming the first player born outside the US to win the NBA MVP. He was also the first to win Regular Season MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in the same season. Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic followed in Olajuwon’s footsteps and won a career-high seven awards in total (so far).

Of course, the story of the international player cannot be told without mentioning another Rockets insider. Houston was chosen Yao Ming with the number 1 pick in the 2002 Draft, making him the first international to do so without going through the NCAA.

In addition to being an eight-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA, Yao is one of the most important figures in sports history for his impact on the globalization of the NBA. His presence alone allowed the Rockets to become the most popular team in China. The doors Yao opened to the Asian market allowed the league to build a multi-million dollar relationship.

As for the most recent achievements, an international player has won the last four MVP awards (Antetokounmpo and Jokic twice) and four of the last five Defensive Player of the Year awards (Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert three times). On the other hand, three of the five members of the 2021-2022 All-NBA first team were not born in the United States (Antetokunbo, Jokic and Luka Doncic).

The Dream Team’s impact on words

David Stern, Former NBA Commissioner: “I think the key was that the basketball world called for the NBA to come together and we said yes. And they’ve benefited greatly from it, as have we, and so has basketball in general. Now we see Dirk Nowitzki, Ricky Rubio, Tony Parker, Yao Ming, Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Serge Ibaka and Luol Deng.”

Tony Parker, six-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion: “It had a huge impact on Europe. If you look at the interviews I did or Dirk or Pau Gasol, we were all influenced by the Dream Team. That was the point where we were like, “Wow, this is great. I want to go to the NBA. Perhaps it is possible.’ It was the first time I saw them in real life because before it was only possible on video. Now, he was in Europe and everyone was there. It was perfect. It was a great experience. It definitely started for me after the Olympics.”

Pau Gasol, six-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion: “THE [Dream Team] inspired and shaped international basketball during the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. I was one of those kids who was inspired by that team. Thanks”.

Mike Wilbon, NBA analyst: “It changed the sport as we know it. They showed the world how to play basketball. What other team can say that? I don’t think we’ll see anything like that again. It’s an insult to compare anybody else to that team.”

The Dream Team roster and results

Living the dream. This Sports Illustrated cover was signed by six members of the Dream Team (and let’s not forget the Admiral): Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Michael Jordan and Karl Malone. pic.twitter.com/aSqDsoIv4C

This was the balance of results of the Dream Team in Barcelona 92′.

The best moments of the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics

The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the NBA or its organizations.