Dream Team

How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Changed the Game of Basketball Forever

By: Jack McCallum

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the greatest team of all time conquered the world and changed the game of basketball forever.

They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers....

In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team that captivated the world, kindled the hoop dreams of countless children around the planet, and remade the NBA into a global sensation.

As a senior staff writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona. For the duration of the Olympics, he lived with, golfed with, and - most importantly - drank with some of the greatest players of the NBA's Golden Age: Magic Johnson, the ebullient showman who shrugged off his recent diagnosis of HIV to become the team's unquestioned captain and leader; Michael Jordan, the transcendent talent at the height of his powers as a player - and a marketing juggernaut; and Charles Barkley, the outspoken iconoclast whose utterances on and off the court threatened to ignite an international incident.

Presiding over the entire traveling circus was the Dream Team's beloved coach, Chuck Daly, whose laissez-faire approach proved instrumental in getting the most out of such disparate personalities and superstars as Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, and Scottie Pippen.

Drawing on fresh interviews with the players, McCallum provides the definitive account of the Dream Team phenomenon. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the controversial selection process. He takes us inside the team's Olympic suites for late-night card games and bull sessions where the players debate both the finer points of basketball and their respective places in the NBA pantheon. And he narrates a riveting possession-by-possession account of the legendary July 1992 intrasquad scrimmage that pitted the Dream Teamers against one another in what may have been the greatest pickup game - and the greatest exhibition of trash talk - in history.

In the 20 years since the Dream Team first captivated the world's attention, its mystique has only grown - and so has its influence. The NBA is now flush with international stars, many of them inspired by the exuberant spirit of '92. Dream Team vividly recreates the moment when a once-in-a-millennium group of athletes came together, outperformed the hype, and changed the future of sports - one perfectly executed fast break at a time.

©2012 Jack McCallum (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Great [listening] for NBA fans. High-demand backstory." ( Booklist)

A must for a sports fan alive in the 90s

I was 9 when the Dream Team came along. I had a Charles Barkley Team USA jersey and watched EVERY second of their games. If you're a basketball fan or even a sports fan this book is a must. It doesn't have any deep and long held secrets. It is just a great book about the best team in sports history. If you're a Sir Charles fan you'll love this book even more. If you get this book you won't regret it at all.

A treasure for any NBA fan!

What made the experience of listening to Dream Team the most enjoyable?

The insights, frankly and fairly told, were fascinating. Dick Hill did a great job.

What did you like best about this story?

This was a unique look into a great American sport that has gone through many changes in the past 3 decades. Jack McCallum gave understanding and depth to the conversation about what makes sports, and those who play them, truly great - verses just talented and famous.

Any additional comments?

I think this would be enjoyable for anyone to listen to, but if you are a sports fan, and particularly if you are a basketball fan, it's a treasure of information, insight, and validation of the love you feel for the sport. I'm looking forward to listening to it again some time in the near future to enjoy the stories and re-reflect on the ideas.

Jack McCallum is a one of a kind storyteller

The only thing that could improve this would be to hear it in Jack's voice, but they did a good job with the narrator.

I would recommend this book to any NBA fan.

Where does Dream Team rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Average.

What did you like best about this story?

This book provided much insight into what made this dream team and its members so special. It will be tough for there ever to be another all star team like this one.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

None in particular, but this book was still very entertaining. I'm glad I read it.

Nostalgic, sports bliss

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m 46 years old and I remember watching the NBA growing up. Each one of these players held high esteem in my regard one of my favorite parts in the book was the description of each players style and approach to the game. I couldn’t disagree with any aspect.

Great insight into the great basketball team ever.

As a basketball fan, a David Robinson super fan and a teen of the 90's this book was right up my alley. It was great hearing all the great stories about the players who molded the NBA through the 80's & 90's. Great insight all how all those players talk and think about each other, these same players who would battle while on the team and for another 5-10 years after. This is a must listen for all basketball lovers.

One of my favorites

Growing up with a Dream Team poster hanging on the wall, this one was a fantastic look into the Dream Team and how there will never be another team like it

For Any Basketball Fan

If you are a basketball fan, this is the book for you. Maybe for many the Golden Age of basketball was the UCLA and Celtics teams of the 60's, but for most of us it was the Magic, Byrd and Michael era. This goes into so much more than just the dream team, and is well presented and read.

This is not a novel that will captivate you and have you on the edge, but a series of interviews and revelations that really show how the Dream Team came I to existence and what made them so special.

SPOILER ALERT: The Dream Team won the 1992 Olympics.

Great listen for basketball fans

Remarkable access to the most amazing team ever to be assembled. Inside scoop into the inner works of various legendary relationships (Mike and Charles, Larry and Ewing, Magic and Larry, The Admiral and his God, etc...). The author had the authority and knowledge to put it together and he did. As a big basketball fan I can only be grateful this work came to be and i had the change to enjoy it while those former superstars are still around. Life dictates that we prioritize more serious matters as the world can be full of challenges and shortcomings. True!
But thanks God we'll always have our memories of the Dream Team to fall back to. :)

A must read for basketball fans.

Would you consider the audio edition of Dream Team to be better than the print version?

Yes, Mr. Hill is excellent as the narrator.

What other book might you compare Dream Team to and why?

Killing Kennedy, both audio books have tremendous narrators and give a more personal perspective of the subjects.

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

He sounds like a reporter; his voice almost perfectly takes the character of McCallum's writing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed a lot.

Any additional comments?

I grew up in Illinois during the 90's, obsessed with MJ. After listening to this book, Lard Bird has become my favorite player. I was excited anytime Larry became the focus of the book.