"Are all the good players going to play?" - When Michael Jordan almost declined to play on the Dream Team

One would assume that Michael Jordan was the first player to join the 1992 Dream Team , given his love for competition. However, "His Airness" wasn't fond of participating in the 1992 Olympics for various reasons. Still, the U.S. squad was determined to get Mike, who was already recognized as the best player in the world by then, to don the USA jersey again.

"I was trying to figure out a way, graciously, that I could decline," Mike said in the 2012 NBA TV documentary on the legendary 1992 Barcelona Olympic men's basketball team.

Jordan wanted to decline

One of Jordan's main reasons was that he had already won gold in the 1984 Olympics when Team USA featured college players. He couldn't find motivation to give it another go, this time with fellow professional players.

"The one guy that we were a little bit concerned about was probably Michael," said Rod Thorn, a member of the USA Basketball 1992 Olympic selection committee.

Thorn noted that MJ was very particular about whom he played with. The GOAT wanted to make sure he was surrounded by equally good players.

"[Jordan's] thing -- well, who else is playing?" Thorn said in the NBA TV documentary. "Are all the good players going to play? I'm not going to play by myself."

As we all know by now, the Chicago Bulls legend suited up for Team USA, playing alongside the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and many more. They dominated their competition and won the gold medal.

MJ's thoughts on winning Olympic gold

The six-time NBA champion's thoughts on the Olympics have changed over the years. Initially, he didn't seem to care much about winning the gold for his country. However, Michael once admitted that Olympic gold has more value than an NBA Championship .

"It adds something to your life when you win a gold medal," Jordan, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, said. "You hear the whole world cheering for you. That's far greater than any other cheering you're going to hear in basketball. The title is for Chicago and the Bulls fans around the United States, but the Olympics are for everybody in the United States and then some."

Perhaps the GOAT is right. Representing your country and your fellow citizens is a special achievement in itself, and winning the top prize makes it even sweeter.

Related: Michael Jordan on playing point guard for the Dream Team: "I told the players before the game I'm not Magic Johnson"