"People in other parts of the world knew they were not even close to competing" - Clyde Drexler on how The Dream Team's success changed NBA and basketball

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Composed of the greatest basketball players of all time, The Dream Team was expected to achieve success in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. However, Dream Team member Clyde Drexler said the true meaning of Team USA’s victory at the time was not only to prove that they could bring home the gold.

According to “The Glide,” The Dream Team profoundly showcased to the world that the finest basketball talents could be found in the U.S. Drexler implied that their effortless dominance throughout the tournament signified that the NBA didn’t only house the best basketball players in the world.

More importantly, it also served as a rude awakening for other countries as they realized the rest of the globe was nowhere near the U.S. in terms of high-level basketball.

“That team has changed basketball around the world, but in this country, everyone knew what the real deal was, the best players are in the NBA, everyone knew that, but that [Dream Team] solidified that statement around the world in a big way, in a meaningful way to where the people in other parts of the world knew they were not even close to competing and if you wanted to get better, you had to go to the United States to work with people to improve your game and so, that’s what happened,” Drexler told KOIN 6 in 2022.

The Dream Team induced global talent into the NBA

Apart from being arguably the best basketball team to ever compete in the Olympics, The Dream Team also had a lasting impact that reached far beyond the international stage. The way Drexler sees it, the success of The Dream Team opened up the gates for the NBA to go global, encouraging top players from other countries to pursue their dreams of playing in the league.

For “The Glide,” it’s safe to say that aspiring basketball stars outside the U.S. saw The Dream Team as role models and prime examples of basketball excellence in the Barcelona Olympics. In the process, Drexler said The Dream Team became responsible for foreign players wanting to emulate NBA stars and prove that they, too, could compete at the highest level.

Clyde emphasized that the significant increase in the number of European players in the NBA today speaks volumes about The Dream Team’s astronomical influence, which continued to grow over time.

“And that’s why you see so many good European players in the NBA today,” Drexler explained. “A lot of them were trained not only in their countries but also in our country as well. They grew up watching the greats and the legends of the game and so they were able to mimic and work on their games just the way we had.”

The Dream Team was a real team

Indeed, how Drexler described the success of The Dream Team was hard to refute. Besides Clyde, Chris Mullin is also a Dream Team member who once shared a valuable insight about the iconic squad.

As per “Mully,” the main factor that led The Dream Team to undeniable success was the harmony that culminated within the group. For Mullin, The Dream Team was more than just a collection of individual talents. He believed that what truly set them apart was their ability to come together as a cohesive unit, playing not for personal glory, but for the collective success of the team.

While each player on The Dream Team was indeed a superstar in their own right, Mullin stressed the importance of teamwork and chemistry in achieving their historic victory. He highlighted how the players put aside their egos and differences to form a true basketball team, showcasing selflessness and a shared commitment to accomplishing greatness. By doing so, Mullin attested that The Dream Team set the highest standard on how the game should be played.

“The thing that to me was maybe the most gratifying was how quickly that group of players went from a collection of All-Stars, all-world, all-century-type players to a team – how quickly guys checked their egos, didn’t worry about stats, didn’t worry about shots and (set) the goal to play the highest level of basketball that we could to set the bar high for the teams that came behind us,” Mullin once said.

“It’s not always easy to get high-profile, incredibly accomplished players to play together, and that happened in two days of practice. It wasn’t a collection of stars then – it was a team,” he added.

The Dream Team helped the NBA grow

In retrospect, it’s also worth noting that The Dream Team contributed to the NBA’s global popularity and growth as an organization. From that point forward, the league began to capitalize on The Dream Team’s popularity by promoting basketball internationally and establishing partnerships with foreign markets.

As a result, the NBA gained a broader audience and attracted fans from diverse cultures and countries. On top of that, The Dream Team also helped make the NBA a melting pot of talent from different backgrounds, further fueling its growth and popularity on a global scale.