The 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team is seen as one of the best sporting sides to ever exist. Filled with some of the NBA's greatest ever players, the group known simply as 'The Dream Team' dominated all the way until the end of the Olympics to win a gold medal in stunning fashion - they beat their opponents by an average of 44 points.
Unsurprisingly, the team was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, with them being dubbed as the "greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet." Out of the group of 12 players to feature on the roster, 11 of them have been inducted into the Hall of Fame for their own personal achievements in the NBA (only Christian Laettner misses out), while head coach, Chuck Daly, has also made it.
Having come through a group that included Germany and Detlef Schrempf in convincing fashion, the US faced Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals and breezed past them 115-77, with Chris Mullin leading the way with his scoring of 21 points. The semis brought home a match-up against Lithuania, led by Arvydas Sabonis, but once again, the US came through unscathed, this time with Michael Jordan shouldering the scoring burden with 21 himself.
The final would prove to be a rematch of one of their Group A contests against Croatia, and the US would secure Olympic gold in emphatic fashion, with Jordan finishing the game as the side's top scorer.
But despite the likes of MVP-winning stars like Jordan and Larry Bird existing on the team, Magic Johnson revealed that he felt that there was someone else who stood out for carrying the US side to Olympic victory.
Magic Johnson Snubbed Jordan and Bird as Dream Team's Best Player
Magic Johnson Team USA Olympics
Johnson was unequivocal that one man from the team stood out more than the rest, and he paid the ultimate compliment to him, declaring that Charles Barkley was not only the best player, but also the one who was the most exciting too.
In 1992, Michael Jordan, Ewing, Robinson, Malone, all of us represented the Dream Team. As we trained to get ready to represent the United States, this man was the best player out of all the players. He dominated every single night, every single practice and he was also the most exciting player.
Indeed, when the team was inducted into the Hall of Fame, it was Magic who led all the tributes, and he reiterated his feeling that Barkley was the side's best player at the Games.
I want to thank Michael Jordan for setting the tone for us and the winning attitude, the greatest player, when he came in the door, we knew he was all about business. I want to thank Charles Barkley as he really dominated the play and was our best player in all those games.
Charles Barkley Carried the Dream Team to Olympic Success
Charles Barkley
The Dream Team was something special to say the least. To think that so many of those players are in the Hall of Fame and can rightfully be considered as among the greatest NBA players of all-time, it's no surprise that they were dominant together when they joined forces. Indeed, while Magic and Bird were at the tail ends of their careers, the likes of Jordan, Charles Barkley and others were beginning to hit their primes, and proved an unstoppable force.
Of course, the biggest controversy surrounding the team proved to be the omission of Isiah Thomas. The Detroit Pistons guard - who many feel can be considered among the top three greatest point guards of all-time - was left out in place of the Portland Trail Blazers' Clyde Drexler, even despite his NBA title-winning credentials.
Despite some of the cloud hanging over the players and the selection process, the US side came together in incredible fashion to blow away the competition. Barkley would lead the way, averaging the most points per game for the team in the competition (16.3), while his 6.7 rebounds per match were also the highest too. That's not to mention that his tally of 12 steals was the most of any US player either.
Barkley was at the Philadelphia 76ers at this point, having already been a multiple-time All-Star and All-NBA First Team member too. It was a testament to his character and ability that, even despite the team being stacked with stars and legends, it was he who really led the way and brought the intensity to the games. Barkley's performances overshadowed the presence of Jordan himself, and it's no surprise Magic has been so effusive in his praise of the now Inside the NBA star.