The Dream Team

The Dream Team, there was nothing like it before and there hasn't been another team like it since. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Dream Team and I don't we'll ever see another Dream Team again. The players now make so much money from the NBA that they don't want to risk injuring themselves in the Olympics. I can't say that I blame them, but it sucks for us.

This one-plus hour documentary takes us from before the Dream Team was formed through their Gold medal. There were some things I didn't know, which is always good from a documentary, but what I didn't find out is why did Jordan choose number 9?

The Dream Team (2012)

**** (out of 4)

Excellent documentary covering The Dream Team, the American basketball team who ended up winning the Gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. The documentary covers how the American team didn't win the Gold in 1988 so they decided to try and get the greatest players in the world. We get a quick rundown of all twelve players getting a call to play, their reactions and then we get straight to the basketball. I had just started watching basketball a couple years before this team was put together and even after all these years I can still remember watching them and just being amazed at what I saw. For those who didn't get a chance to see them, I think this wonderful documentary will show people what the hype was all about. What's so great is that all of the players are interviewed here and they talk about a wide range of topics from egos to the friendships made and even some more controversial moments including Barkley's elbowing in the first official game as well as Isiah Thomas being left off the team. This documentary will constantly have a smile on your face because you can just feel the joy and entertainment that the team brought to the entire world and it still makes you just sit there amazed at how much talent was on one court. The only negative thing that could be said is that the film didn't run long enough as it could have gone on for hours and I doubt anyone would have gotten bored.

This TV documentary screened when the Olympics were going on and, while I was watching the current US team win gold, I thought it would be good to look back on the first proper Dream Team in Barcelona. This film does that and, although it is a weakness of the documentary, it does do it with a sort of fondness and nostalgia that I was ready for. The film very briefly follows the construction of the team, the controversy over some of those excluded (well, one obvious on in particular) and also some of the fuss over this massively powerful team being brought to the Olympics to essentially crush the opposition.

On this last aspect I was interested because this is my memory as well – that the "spirit" of the event was being destroyed by this team of professional athletes playing in the top league in the world against those of a much lower standard. This is a fair point in regards the gulf of class but perhaps less of a fair point when it came to the US, since other countries had no such criticism about fielding their best players from the NBA. This topic gets very short examination from the film – as indeed do most of the more interesting topics because, while it lists itself as a documentary, it is more a celebration or a promotional piece. As a result the tone is, although informative, more about entertaining and it does do this well. The story itself is a good one even if it is essentially "US took massively powerful team of NBA stars to crush lesser opposition". The players all give good contributions and it is structured very well as a story. I liked the footage that I had never seen before of the practice loss against college players and the inter-NBA game with plenty of trash talking from Magic; it was also very funny to see John Stockton (always an unassuming kind of guy) walking the streets and not even being recognised by American fans.

Indeed it is this footage and these contributions that make the film work because it does give it this nicely nostalgic feel. The players in particular do that; it is obvious they had a blast and this comes across in recollections and stories that they share. This makes it enjoyable because it does bring out the spirit behind – competitive sure but not cruel as it was perceived outside the US at the time. There is an element of airbrushing to this though, and the film does make some very general and non-specific claims about it being good for basketball etc but this is part of the territory of it being nostalgic rather than really documenting in the classic sense.

I forgave it for this though because I did find it very entertaining and those looking for a warming look back at this team will find this film to do the same for them. Those looking for a proper documenting of the opinions of others, impact of the team and controversy surrounding it will not find that here, which is a bit disappointing, but it does still provide enough to engage and entertain.

The documentary I just saw has the same name, the same year, the same subject and is directed by Jerome Cazadieu. It's broadcasted as Jordan turns fifty (not points, but years) and indeed his NBA titles, Olympics game medal (as well as the European Championship of my hometown) are twenty years behind. What have we become since? A lot of my dreams turns into nightmare (democracy, job, society) and it was premonition to call this team, a Dream, because watching it brought me tears...

As my hometown is the ultimate French team for basketball (not Pau, the other!), i grew up watching basketball, playing basketball. The NBA came in my life in 1991 with Canal + and two new magazines, "Mondial Basket" and "5 majeur", whose first cover was already the Dream team! My first impression was to stick with Jordan, Pippen and Jackson and what a ride they gave me up to 2010!

Summer 1992 was maybe the best ever: having graduated from high-school with honors, it was just a basketball extravaganza all summer before starting university. I remember the Portland tournament and the Barcelona games that I taped on VHS. My favorite game was USA-Germany with an outstanding game from Larry!

Regarding the documentary, it's a good work: the frenzy about the team and its inner dynamics are there. It's due to the fact that it's footage but also interviews with all the teamers and beyond (the commissioner, Kukoc). The coaches are a bit left and the most astounding fact is forgotten: Coach Daly never calls a single time-out in any games, even when the team was losing against Croatia in the finale. But it's an honest account as nothing is kept under the carpet (the card games, the logo controversy)...

What's is amazing is to see that all the team-up are true competitors, hard workers, courageous, polite and joyful people. It's such a change from our whining, insulting, fast tired French soccer proclaimed champions! So, they are the dream team because they have class, no more no less. The later teams aren't dream anymore (they even lose) but Coach K's tenure writes an incredible chapter (actually, 52v –1l!).

Writing all this, i can just cry because basketball moments like this were indeed unique: they have come and now they are gone, except in our memories!