FIBA Shared Highlights Of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, And Magic Johnson Dominating With The Dream Team

Before the Olympics in 1992, there was the Americup. People often forget that’s where the fabled Dream Team first got together. FIBA, however, has done its part to remind us of what came before the Barcelona Olympiad. This summer is the 25th anniversary of the Dream Team, and the international basketball group published rare highlights of an Americup game on Thursday that showed Jordan, Bird and company balling out.

The nearly 5-minute video has some true gems, like Jordan making a spectacular behind-the-back save of a ball going out of bounds that’s a perfect pass to Larry Bird, who drains a jumper.

The game itself was over before it started. The U.S. jumped out to a 12-5 lead early and just gutted the Cubans, blowing quick passes and easy dunks past a hapless defense truly facing one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled. The U.S. demolishes Cuba in the contest, 136-57, and won six straight games in the tournament, which was called the Tournament of the Americas at the time.

Everyone knows just how good the Dream Team was, but it’s great to see highlights like this for a reminder of the sheer amount of basketball talent that was on that squad.