1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team

The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the "Dream Team", was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players. The team is described by American journalists as the greatest sports team ever assembled. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame called the team "the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet". At the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, the team defeated its opponents by an average of 44 points en route to the gold medal against Croatia.Chuck Daly served as coach, assisted by Lenny Wilkens, P. J. Carlesimo, and Mike Krzyzewski.

Before the 1992 games, only amateur players were allowed to play on the men's Olympic basketball team. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the United States national basketball team, made up of college stars, finished in third place. The defeat increased calls for professionals to be allowed to play in the Olympics. Borislav Stanković of FIBA advocated for this for years.

In 1989 FIBA modified its rules allowing professional athletes, such as NBA players, to compete internationally.FIBA agreed in April 1989 to allow professionals to play in the Olympics, despite American and Russian votes against the proposal.USA Basketball asked the NBA to supply players for its 1992 roster; the league was initially unenthusiastic, not foreseeing the cultural phenomenon that the team would become.Sports Illustrated was the first to nickname the forthcoming American roster as the "Dream Team", on the cover of its February 18, 1991, issue. So many corporate sponsors wished to use the team to advertise their products that some were rejected.

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