The History of the 1996 United States men's Olympic basketball team
Following the Dream Team was going to be a hard thing to do, but that is exactly what Team USA and the 1996 Atlanta team was trying to do. The team dubbed the Dream Team III was composed up of a lot of players from the original Dream Team and the Dream Team II that played in the World Basketball Championship.
The 1994 team that played in Toronto at the WBC was made up of a lot of players who were younger, a theme the US continues to do. The US sends the top teir stars to the Olympics and the younger up and coming stars go to the World Basketball Championships or as its called now - the World Cup of basketball. Dream Team II won gold fairly easily and was the first USA team to actually go undefeated at the Worlds since 1954 and the third to ever win gold.
The Atlanta team had a lot of hype because for the third time in their history and second time in 12 years the Olympics were going to be played in the United States.
Five players from the original Dream Team played for Dream Team III, they were Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, and David Robinson. Michael Jordan was offered a spot but passed so that others could get a gold medal. Shaquille O'Neal and Reggie Miller were added to the squad from Dream Team II. The roster was filled out with Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Gary Payton would replace the injured Glenn Robinson on the team.
Lenny Wilkens was named the head coach of the team, with Jerry Sloan being named lead assistant.
There was fewer controversies with this roster than in previous years, and that had a lot to do with players like Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning declining an invite. One area that upset some nations was that Hakeem Olajuwon was allowed to play. Olajuwon was born in Nigeria but became a Naturalized US citizen in the early 1990s and thus was eligible to play for the USA.
The Dream Team III played some uncredited exhabition games in Los Angeles before playing an exhabition game vs Greece in Salt Lake City. Dream Team III won the game easily, as the Greek team left at halftime to smoke outside the area. The US also played against the US select team, a team consisting of young college players lead by Chauncy Billups and Tim Duncan. Had it not been for an offensive out pouring by John Stockton, the US select team would have beaten the Dream Team.
Once again the bids went to the host nation (United States), world basketball champion (United States), and each of the continental championship tournament winners. In total 12 teams participated in the 1996 Atlanta games.
The political world had also settled down and team such as Yugoslavia once again were playing in the Olympics.
The US was in Group A with Lithuania, Croatia, China, Argentina and Angola. This was seen as the tougher of the two brackets.
The US began Olympic play on July 20, 1996, against Argentina. The score was actually really close in the first half with the US having just a 2 point 46-44 lead at the break. The US doubled up the Argentines in the second half 50-24 and won easily 96-68.
The second game was vs Angola, the team the original Dream Team is famous for absolutely Annihilating. This time the game was closer, but not by much. The US won 87-54.
The US' third game was vs Lithuania, and once again this game was close in the first half with the US having just a 50-42 lead at the half. The US pulled away in the second half for a 104-82 victory.
Dream Team III's penultimate group game was against China and the US had very little problem. The US lead 65-28 at the half and won 133-70.
The final game of group play was a rematch vs the one team that ever really gave the Dream Team any problems - Croatia. The Dream Team III had no issues with Croatia as they cruised to a 102-71 victory.
The top four teams from each Group advanced. Group A was lead by the US, Lithuania, Croatia and China. Group B was lead by Yugoslavia, Australia, Greece, and Brazil.
The first game in the knockout stage was vs Brazil, and the US won easily 98-75. Though the game was closer than the Americans would have liked as Oscar Schmidt scored at will for Brazil.
In the Semifinals the US met Australia and after a hard fought first half, but the Assuies away 101-73 to advance to the gold medal game.
The US would face Yugoslavia in the gold medal game, and Yugoslavia kept it close early. The US had just a 5 point lead at the half, but a strong second half allowed the Americans to capture their 11th gold medal. Yugoslavia got another silver medal and Lithuania got their first medal in basketball at the Olympics - a bronze.
The victory made the Dream Team III only the second team to ever win Olympic gold on their home floor, something previously accomplished by the 1984 US team. It was also the first time a nation had won back-to-back golds since the US in 1964 and 1968.
Dream Team III won a lot of accolades, but it is most remembered as a team of "what ifs". A lot of the players had very good careers but not great careers and only O'Neal, and Olajuwon won championships as the #1 guy on a team. Pippen and Robinson were second to Jordan and Duncan, and Richmond was a role player to Shaq and Kobe in his only title. Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway never even played in the NBA finals. Stockton, Malone, and Barkely are all seen as the greatest players to never win a title.
The 1996 games may have altered the course of NBA history in an unexpected way. Early in the 1996-97 season David Robinson got injured and missed most of the season. Robinson who had injury issues before was warned about overexerting himself which may have lead to his injury. The Spurs got the #1 pick in 1997 and selected Tim Duncan, and thus established one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.
The team also made Shaquille O'Neal aspire for the bright lights of Hollywood, and he would leave the Orlando Magic.
Injuries are also a legacy of Dream Team III, as Barkley, Hardaway, Robinson, Richmond, Payton and Olajuwon would all have injury troubles in the seasons following their appearance on Dream Team III.
This would also be the last team called the Dream Team.
| 
