HistoryData
sports1992

United States at the 1992 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament — U.S. Olympic team (1992)

January 1, 1992

The 1992 U.S. Dream Team was the first Olympic basketball squad composed of active NBA professionals, winning gold by an average margin of 44 points.

Quick Facts

Year
1992
Category
sports

Key Facts

Medal Won
Gold
Average Victory Margin
44 points
First NBA Players in Olympics
Yes — first active NBA professionals on U.S. team
Hall of Fame Inductions
U.S. Olympic (2009), Naismith (2010), FIBA (2017)
Individual Naismith Inductees
11 players and 3 coaches

By the Numbers

44points
Average Victory Margin
2,009
Hall of Fame Inductions
11
Individual Naismith Inductees

Location

Map of Barcelona, SpainMap of Barcelona, SpainBarcelona, Spain

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Prior to 1992, U.S. Olympic basketball rosters were restricted to amateur players. After disappointing results in international competition, FIBA changed its rules to allow professional players, prompting USA Basketball to assemble a roster of the sport's biggest NBA stars for the first time.

Event

At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, the United States fielded a roster of active NBA professionals dubbed the 'Dream Team.' The squad dominated every opponent throughout the tournament, winning the gold medal by an average margin of 44 points per game.

Consequence

The Dream Team was collectively inducted into three halls of fame and is widely regarded as the greatest sports team ever assembled. Its dominance accelerated the global spread of basketball and elevated the NBA's international profile significantly.

Result

United States
Gold Medal — won all games by avg. 44 points

at Barcelona, Spain — 1992 Summer Olympics

First U.S. Olympic team composed entirely of active NBA professionals

Timeline Context

Timeline around 19921992198919901991199319941995Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics — Basketball olympic competition in Bacelona, 19921992 Summer Olympics medal tableMani pulite — Italian political corruption scandal in the 1990sUnified Team — special team of athletes from countries of the former Soviet Union (excepting the 3 Baltic countries) competing in the 1992 Winter and Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games1992 AFC Asian Cup — football tournament1992 African Cup of Nations — football tournamentEurovision Song Contest 1992 — 37th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest1992 Formula One World Championship — sports seasonunited-states-at-the-1992-men-s-olympic-basketball-tournamen-1992