During the summer of 1992, a group of 12 American basketball players
set off to win an Olympic gold medal in Barcelona, Spain. Dubbed the "Dream Team," they represented the first USA Basketball Olympic squad to feature active professional NBA players and proved to
be unstoppable. Widely considered the greatest
sports team ever assembled, this unbeatable
bunch annihilated each opponent by an average of 44 points per
game in capturing the gold medal.
The Dream Team defeated Croatia in the championship game by the score of 117-85. They blew out earlier opponents by
the following margins: Angola (68 points); Croatia (the first time, 33);
Germany (43); Brazil (44); Spain (41); Puerto Rico (38); and Lithuania
(51). Led by co-captains Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the team was
coached by longtime Detroit Pistons head coach Chuck Daly along with assistants Lenny Wilkens, P.J. Carlesimo and Mike Krzyzewski. Every NBA player on the
squad brought impeccable credentials: Magic, Bird,
Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler, John
Stockton, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen and David Robinson.
The 12th and final player selected was reigning NCAA Player of the Year, Christian Laettner.
This lot features a prized basketball signed by each of the
aforementioned coaches and players. A Spalding Top-Flight 100
basketball, it is stamped "1992 Tournament of the Americas" (now called FIBA
Americas Championship), a pre-Olympic tune-up from June 27 to July 5 in
Portland, OR, to decide the four Olympic berths from the Americas. It
was the international debut of the Dream Team, making this ball one of
the earlier Dream Team signed balls out there. Each of the 16 coaches and players signed
it in 9/10 bold black marker. This is truly a unique
multi-signed basketball as it includes the autographs of 11 Naismith
Hall of Fame players and three Hall of Fame coaches. As far as Dream
Team balls go, it is certainly up there as one of the finest example we've seen.
It should be noted that the "99 of 200 Limited Edition" stamping on the ball signifies the number of these commemorative 'Tournament of Americas' basketballs were produced by Spalding; in no way does it mean there are 200 of these balls circulating the market signed by the entire Dream Team. If anything, you can probably count on one or two hands the number of these particular balls that are team signed. The consignor was presented this ball (already signed) at an NBA awards by Commissioner David Stern; his company was voted the league's top licensee. Incredible fresh-to-the-market Dream Team ball.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Letter of provenance from consignor, former president of Sports Impressions.