When the Game Was Ours - Larry Bird [136]
"Hey, leave that stuff to me," said Jordan.
The next time down the court, Bird held his breath, extended himself as high as he could, then stuffed the ball through.
"Larry, what are you trying to do?" Magic said.
Daly had tried to conjure up some urgency before the United States played Croatia in the gold medal game. The Dream Team had already crushed the Europeans in an earlier round by 33 points, and the coach was guarding against overconfidence. When the United States trailed Croatia 25–23 early in the first half, his fears appeared somewhat justified. He was about to call his first time-out when Jordan and Johnson led them on a quick run.
The Dream Team led 52–46 at the half, but Bird still hadn't taken off his warm-ups. Assistant P. J. Carlesimo grabbed him and said, "Hey, Coach forgot about you in the first half. He's going to start you in the second half."
Bird laughed. He wasn't concerned with minutes. His goal—to step on the court in the Olympic Games representing his country—had already been reached. But he did find it amusing that Chuck Daly, who had spent much of his career in Detroit attempting to dethrone Bird and the Celtics, forgot him.
"As many times as I had broken that guy's heart, you'd think he'd remember," Bird said.
The fans wanted Bird in the game and would not stop chanting "Larr-eee, Larr-eee!" until he entered. The United States coasted to a 117–85 win, and as the buzzer sounded, Bird and Magic turned to one another and embraced. Amid cameras flashing and confetti flying, Ewing tapped them both on the shoulder.
"They had been battling each other for so long, it was nice to see them finally on the same side," he said.
As Bird stood on the medal stand with Ewing at his side and Magic in front of him, he remembered his father, Joe Bird, a veteran of the Korean War who loved his country and stood straight and proud whenever the national anthem was played.
Magic's eyes were moist as he faced his country's flag. The Olympic Games had exceeded all of his hopes and expectations and given him one final chance to enjoy the precious gift of being part of a team that was as close to perfect as he had ever experienced.
"You had to thank Larry and Magic and Michael for making it work," Barkley said. "They were the ones who checked their egos at the door. Nobody big-timed anyone in Barcelona."
Barkley couldn't help but notice the contrast between the 1992 Olympians and the 1996 Olympic squad, which he also played on. Unlike the Dream Team, which managed to sidestep any incidents regarding minutes, the 1996 Olympians bickered over everything from who started to who wore which uniform numbers.
"It was one big ego fest," Barkley said. "Guys actually boycotted practice because they weren't happy with their playing time. It was ridiculous."
One afternoon when his '96 Olympic teammates were complaining about their minutes, Barkley finally snapped. "You should be ashamed of yourselves," he berated them. "Michael and Magic and Larry shared the ball. They shared the spotlight. And because of that, it was the experience of a lifetime. You guys are a bunch of selfish jerks."
After Barcelona, Jordan backed up his bravado from the game room of the Ambassador Hotel by winning six titles—one more than Magic, three more than Bird. He proved to be the most recognizable NBA star ever, but playing alongside Magic and Larry on the Dream Team remains one of the most cherished memories of his career.
"It was," Jordan said, "the best time I've ever had."
In the final hours before they jetted back home from Barcelona, Magic and Larry emptied their lockers and packed their