“We beat them the first day” - Grant Hill asserts no other team has ever beaten the Olympic 'Dream Team' except himself and a select college squad
Grant Hill was one of the few NCAA players brought in by the late Chuck Daly to scrimmage with the "Dream Team" in 1992. The legendary head coach wanted to test how his collection of NBA superstars would adjust to adversity.
With Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the lineup, everyone expected the NBA superstars to obliterate the college group. However, the NCAA players ended up beating them. The score reportedly ended 62-54 in probably the biggest upset in the history of basketball.
Speaking on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" podcast, Hill described the feeling of going up against the players he looked up to at the time. He said:
“Me, along with 8, 7 under college players, Bobby Hurley, Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, to name a few. We were brought as sacrificial lambs to help prepare the Olympic Dream Team in ‘92.”
Hill also revealed what happened during that famous scrimmage:
"They [coaches] wanted us to come out, play fast, shoot a lot of three-pointers and really give them a sense of what they’ll face in international play. Allan Houston caught fire. I was guarding Michael Jordan out the gate, and we beat them the first day!
"We’re the only team to beat the greatest team ever assembled. It was one of the highlights of my career."
The names Grant Hill rattled off would go on to become NBA stars in their own right, but beating the “Dream Team” was something else.
Bobby Hurley, Chris Webber, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Allan Houston & Eric Montross beat the Dream Team 62-54 as college players.
We know what happened next.
Daly’s tactic worked as the Olympians realized they couldn’t allow their rivalries to compromise their goal of winning the gold medal in Barcelona.
Grant Hill also admitted that after the first scrimmage, they were hardly ever able to cross the halfway line against the determined NBA veterans.
After only winning bronze in '88, the U.S. revealed its Dream Team roster 26 years ago today.
They were the greatest team ever assembled. https://t.co/PQjykM065R
The Dream Team would go on to hammer the opposition at the 1992 Olympics, winning games by an average of 43.8 points.
Grant Hill is now the managing director of the USA Men’s Basketball Team
![Grant Hill is now the managing director of USA Basketball. [Photo: USA Basketball]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/1d06c-16553412133115-1920.jpg)
The Detroit Pistons legend has come a long way since scrimmaging that summer against Michael Jordan and the Dream Team. Last year, he was officially declared the successor to Jerry Colangelo as managing director of the USA Men’s Basketball Team.
The two-time NCAA champion had this to say after the USA Basketball committee’s announcement:
"It is a tremendous honor to serve as managing director of USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team.
"I am looking forward to working with the USA Basketball staff and Board of Directors to lead this organization so uniquely positioned for continued growth and for developing and promoting our top talent in events around the world."
es.pn/3hXiRe7
Grant Hill is the new managing director of USA Basketball 🇺🇸 🏀
Read about his first task ➡️ es.pn/3hXiRe7
(via @MarcJSpears, @TheUndefeated) https://t.co/MnfJbfhQX6
Hill continued:
“As a member of the 1996 Dream Team, I know the thrill and responsibility it is to represent our country. I am confident USA Basketball will continue to showcase the top talent and highest character players in our country.”
Congratulations to Managing Director Jerry Colangelo for rebuilding the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program and demanding excellence. After winning four straight gold medals in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020, Grant Hill is set to take over. https://t.co/lH8XPVfRow
The person who led a group of college players to a win against the “Dream Team” will now be tasked with ensuring US Basketball’s dominance in the world.