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A Call To ArmsThe Dream Team beat back a gang of college kids, then beat up on Brazilby Tim Crothers
Take heart, Angola.
O.K., maybe it's too soon for folks to start doing the hokey-pokey through the streets of Luanda, but much of the globe should find hope in Dream Team III's apparent mortality. The United States 22 & Under Select Team—a bunch of college boys, for heaven's sake—nearly staged a coup at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday, leading the Dream Team by 17 points at halftime and eventually losing by only 96-90. Sanity was restored the next day at Cleveland's Gund Arena when the energized Dream Team thumped Brazil 109-68. But Saturday's near upset was by far the closest shave for an American squad since, oh, way back in '88 when they called these guys the United States Olympic men's basketball team.
Hakeem the Dream Teamer helped
photograph by
Suffice it to say, we weren't expecting this. Last week we were dispatched to Chicago to scout Dream Team III's five-day training camp, which led into its five-game exhibition schedule. We were sent to determine whether the squad is indeed the greatest basketball team in the world or, as the locals were suggesting, nothing more than the second-best team in the Windy City.
The Dream Team's week began with a roster move. Seattle SuperSonics guard Gary Payton replaced Milwaukee Bucks forward Glenn Robinson, who was suffering from inflammation in his right Achilles tendon. Dream Team (and Atlanta Hawks) coach Lenny Wilkens explained that he chose Payton because he desperately needed a guard who could play full-court pressure defense. We thought: Get serious, Lenny. You could have added Pauly Shore and your team would still eat South Korea for lunch. After all, Wilkens's troops had made a combined 68 NBA All-Star teams. Plus they sounded pretty confident. "We [the United States] might not make the best cars in the world," said Phoenix Suns forward Charles Barkley, which made him exceedingly popular in the Motor City, "but as far as basketball, that's something that I and we can control."
We learned that the Dream Team has only three plays. We asked what they are. Security was summoned. But as best as we can figure, the offensive options are as follows:
We thought this was sound. After all, we weren't aware of anybody in the world who could guard Orlando Magic center Shaquille O'Neal, listed at 7'1" and 301 pounds (that's 216 centimeters and 137 kilograms for our Croatian readers). And Wilkens was even plotting a way to play all three of his 7-foot centers—O'Neal, the Houston Rockets' Hakeem Olajuwon and the San Antonio Spurs' David Robinson—at the same time, which must be considered some sort of violation of international law.
We attended practice at Chicago's Moody Bible Institute on July 3 and searched for weaknesses. Finding none, we sought a more discerning eye—specifically that of movie critic (and Chicago Bulls season-ticket holder) Gene Siskel, who just happened to be loitering around. "Well, they don't have Michael Jordan, but they still get a thumbs-up from me," said Siskel. "I'd say this Dream Team is like a low-budget thriller. Let's call it Bulldozer. It would star Charles Barkley as the construction-crew chief and [Utah Jazz forward] Karl Malone as the shop steward. Of course, Shaquille O'Neal"—he of the woeful free throw percentage—"would play the bricklayer." Good one, Gene.
We noticed that O'Neal, Payton, Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller and Jazz guard John Stockton kept fielding questions about their free agency. We wondered what all this had to do with winning a gold medal. We checked the Olympic schedule and discovered that the U.S. team's first game is on July 20 against Argentina, a nation that hasn't even participated in Olympic men's basketball since 1952. The game starts at 10 p.m., so we joked with Bulls forward Scottie Pippen about how it should be over at roughly 10:06. Security was summoned again.
We figured that the Dream Team's stiffest competition would come in its own scrimmages and from the ghosts of the past. Dating back to 1936, the U.S. has an overall record of 93-2 (.979) in Olympic play. In winning the 1992 gold medal, Dream Team I defeated its foes by an average margin of nearly 44 points. We have been led to believe that all Dream Team outings might as well be accompanied by Sweet Georgia Brown. So before Saturday's contest we asked Select Team coach Mike Montgomery about his game plan. Said he, "I just hope we don't get shut out."
Lucky for him the Dream Team was in Dream Land, playing listlessly and falling behind by 12 in the first six minutes. When the collegians shifted into a zone defense late in the first half, the Dream Teamers appeared befuddled and found themselves on the embarrassing end of a 20-2 run to close the half. It was the first time any Dream Team had ever trailed at halftime. We hadn't seen anything like this since Ralph Sampson met the Chaminade Silverswords.
The Dream Team did rally in the second half but didn't take the lead for good until Robinson sank two free throws with 6:28 left. When it ended Wilkens looked like Apollo Creed at the end of Rocky. Ain't gonna be no rematch. Afterward Tulsa guard Shea Seals, who led the Select team with 20 points, wandered around the Dream Team locker room getting his sneaker autographed. "In warmups a lot of our guys were big-eyed and awed," said Seals, still somewhat big-eyed as O'Neal inscribed his sole. "But once the game started, you could see the surprised looks on the [Dream Team] faces."
"Today we weren't the Dream Team," said Malone. "In fact, for a while we were the Nightmare Team. We got our wake-up call, and now it's time to start making a statement. It's time to teach Brazil a lesson."
That they did, employing a harassing defense that provoked 30 points off turnovers. "There was a sense of urgency today," said Magic guard Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway afterward. "We had to show that we still had it."
So let's not get mental about this. We know the Dream Team is still the best hoops outfit on the planet, right? We know these guys are a cinch to wear golden necklaces in Atlanta, right? So we only have one final question: Is it too late to get Jordan?
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