The 1984 U.S. Men’s Basketball team was America’s last – and arguably the greatest – amateur hoops squad to win gold at the Olympics. Led by Michael Jordan and legendary coach Bobby Knight, USA absolutely dominated the competition in Los Angeles, winning all eight games by an average score of 95.4 to 63.3 and culminating with a 96-65 victory over Spain in the final. Presented here is, without question, the finest 1984 U.S. Olympic team signed basketball ever offered at public auction.
In April of 1984, the best 72 amateur basketball players in the U.S. were invited to the Olympic Trials in Bloomington, IN – home of Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers – to compete for twelve spots. Running an intense tryout with three practices a day and 70-minute scrimmages at night, Knight used his Bear Bryant-like military approach to narrow down the field. He ended up cutting eight future NBA All-Stars and four Hall of Famers including Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Joe Dumars and Danny Manning.
The lucky dozen who made the cut plus the four alternates would all sign this basketball two months later at a pre-Olympics exhibition game in Bloomington against a team of Indiana University alumni. The 17 total autographs include Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin and Patrick Ewing (who rarely signs anything) along with Sam Perkins, Alvin Robertson, the late Wayman Tisdale, Vern Fleming, Chuck Person, Hoosiers star Steve Alford, Duke star Johnny Dawkins, Jon Koncak, Joe Kleine, Jeff Turner, Leon Wood, Tim McCormick, Lancaster Gordon and trainer Tim Garl. As it turns out, the most impressive looking signature is that of a young, 21-year-old Mike Jordan (9.5/10), who Coach Knight called “the best basketball player I’ve ever seen” within a day of observing young MJ up close. On average, the signatures in thick black marker rate 8-9/10. Simply incredible. Ewing and Mullin have signed on the same panel, a nice bonus.
The "Seamco Official USA 84” basketball presents in outstanding condition, fully inflated with light wear from aging. The ball comes with an official “1984 USA Olympic Team vs. IU Alumni” program (NM) from the June 22, 1984 exhibition game with photos and bios of all U.S. coaches and players plus dozens of former Hoosier stars. We challenge any collector to come forward with a better 1984 Olympic team ball. Hard to imagine a better one exists. Includes full LOA from PSA/DNA.