Sports: The Dream Team

Did you happen to catch the Dream Team documentary on NBA TV last night?  I did and loved it!  It was great to finally get a glimpse of what happened off the court, at practices, during their down time, etc.  I never knew that they actually lost a scrimmage by the score of 62-54 to a bunch of college kids headed by Bobby Hurley and Chris Webber, among others.  Chuck Daly, the Olympic team's head coach had actually orchestrated their defeat in an attempt to prove to the Dream Teamers that they could indeed lose.  A stroke of brilliance, in my opinion, as well the decision to reset the scoreboard to 0-0 before the media was allowed into the gym.

And don't get me started on the Isiah Thomas/Michael Jordan feud.  Isiah and the Pistons were bad news in the early '90s and his inclusion onto the Dream Team would have been disastrous.  Kudos for the organizers to leave him off, no matter the feelings at the time.

I also enjoyed witnessing the internal battles between the old guys -- Magic, Bird -- and the young pups at the time -- Jordan, Barkley, etc.  Remember, at that time Magic and Bird were larger than life, but at the end of their careers.  Michael Jordan had risen to be the best player in the world, and arguably of all time.  Getting a peak of what went on behind the scenes was a real treat.  I loved to see the competitiveness between all the players.

However, what really resonated with me was the way a group of All-Stars -- 11 future Hall of Famers -- could put their egos behind them and bond as a true team.   I think we all kind of forgot just how great this team was, but watching Magic and Bird, Michael and Sir Charles, Stockton and Malone, and all the others scrimmage and compete in games was like reliving that special summer all over again.  These guys lived the rock star life, but brought back the gold medal to the USA, just like they set out to do.  And to see the genuine look of pride on each and every face of the players as they stood on the podium while "The Star Spangled Banner" played and the American flag was raised gave me goosebumps all over again.

NBA TV will air the documentary many more times this month, and I'm sure you can catch it on your mobile device as well.  Do yourself a favor and watch the show, even if you're not a fan of the NBA.  This was a great moment in American sports history and thoroughly enjoyable.