The 1992 Olympics in Barcelona were the first Games where NBA players were allowed to participate, which meant that the United States had the chance to send the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
The ‘Dream Team’ dominated the whole tournament and the final, which was played on this day 23 years ago, saw the Americans beat Croatia 117-85 at the Palau Municipal d’Esports de Badalona.
The only team besides Croatia to hold their losing margin under 40 points against the United States was Puerto Rico, who lost 115–77 in the quarters. The 1992 Olympics was the first time the rest of the world got to see basketball at its finest.
Other famous sporting memories on August 8:
1902: The United States come back from 1-2 down to beat the British Isles 3-2 to win the Davis Cup in Brooklyn, New York.
1976: The Chicago White Sox step out of the dugout against the Kansas City Royals wearing shorts – the first team to ever do so in MLB.
1987: Pakistan’s innings of 708 at The Oval comes to an end. The highest in their Test history, it made sure of a draw and a 1-0 series win.
2008: The Olympic Games kick off in Beijing with a glittering unforgettable opening ceremony.
