Larry Bird has been a part of some of the greatest squads ever put together in basketball. That said, the 1992 Dream Team is undoubtedly the most iconic.
The Boston Celtics legend also participated in the Dream Team's scrimmage in preparation for the Barcelona Olympics, which many dubbed "the greatest game nobody ever saw." However, Larry saw it differently.
"Just a normal practice"
In recent years, media hype and Jordan's own admission — he called it the "greatest game he's ever played in"— have contributed to the legend of that scrimmage. However, Bird downplayed how epic that practice was.
"I didn't think it was much at all, to tell you the truth. If you asked three-quarters of the guys who were there that day, they wouldn't have thought much of it. It was just a normal practice with guys talking; everybody was talking more than playing," said the Celtics icon. "When they (Sports Illustrated) came up with it (the title), I was like, 'Well, when was that?' I think it's nostalgia talking."
While Bird hasn't paid much attention to that scrimmage, the 1992 Olympics still hold a special place in Larry's heart. Part of it was the experience of wearing the country's colors, and another was the laid-back atmosphere that coach Daly created.
"Some guys played a lot of cards. We went to the pool, we would go out to eat, have dinners and things," he recalled. "We spent quite a bit of time getting to know the families. They had an area in the hotel where you could take your kids and relax while they played. Someone would be in there all the time. We all had young kids. We bonded-- that was the special part of it."
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The legendary Monte Carlo scrimmage
With so many accomplished individual players under one roof, Chuck didn't need to do anything to rile up the intensity.
It was July 22, 1992., a few weeks before the legendary Team USA squad would take the stage in Barcelona. In their biggest test going into the tournament, ten players faced each other in the empty Monte Carlo gym, with John Stockton and Clyde Drexler sitting out because of injuries.
"It was like 12 gladiators… going in and battling, battling, battling, and earning that respect. We had so much fun," Michael Jordan said . "It wasn't one guy, not one guy that didn't get along with everybody on the team."
The two MJs were the obligatory captains of the squads. Jordan had Scottie Pippen, Bird, Karl Malone, and Patrick Ewing. Magic Johnson, meanwhile, teamed up with Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, Christian Laettner, and David Robinson.
It was reportedly a back-and-forth affair. Johnson's team led by as much as nine early, but His Airness led a comeback that ended in a victory, 40-36.
Related: John Stockton recalled when Isiah Thomas called his dad amidst Dream Team drama: "I don't know if I would be big enough to do that"
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