"Y'all better not call the foul, we gonna beat their a**": Penny Hardaway reveals hilarious aftermath of beating 1992 Dream Team
Memphis coach and NBA veteran Penny Hardaway revealed a hilarious anecdote when a bunch of collegiate standouts defeated the 1992 US men's basketball squad for the Barcelona Olympics, more famously known as the "Dream Team."
In the latest episode of the Knuckleheads podcast hosted by former NBA stars Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles, Penny Hardaway recounted the events after the US Select Team surprised the ballyhooed Dream Team led by Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson in a scrimmage.
The Select Team was made up of Hardaway, Chris Webber, Grant Hill, Jamal Mashburn, Rodney Rogers, Bobby Hurley, Eric Montross, and Allan Houston, coached by South Carolina's George Ravelling and was assisted by Kansas great Roy Williams.
Hardaway said that the Select Team got hot in the initial scrimmage and ran rings around the Dream Team lineup of Jordan, Johnson, Pippen, and Drexler.
"We were like 'look we gonna go at these dudes because they're not going to respect us.' And once we got hot and start dunking... C-Webb (Webber) was dunking, Bobby Hurley was diamond, me and Mash (Mashburn) was rolling and we we're like 'Damn man, we just beat the Dream Team,'" Hardaway said (19:28).
Following that upset, Hardaway recalled that the veterans threatened the referees to keep their whistles off and the Dream Team humiliated the Select Team by 90 in their rematch.
"And then the next day, they told the referees 'y'all better not call the foul we gonna beat their a**.' They came in the next day and they beat hey they they be by like 90 or something. It wasn't even close and we were: 'all right bro, we don't mean no harm we good we just want some respect,'" he said (19:40).
Penny Hardaway thankful to be called up in the 1992 US Select Team
Penny Hardaway pointed out that being part of the Select Team playing against the Dream Team was already a blessing for him. He was thankful for being recognized by the nation for his efforts during his collegiate stint and be included in the seven-man group.
"I was like: 'Thank you God! Everything about me is gonna be that first.' Secondly I was like you taking care of your business if you're being recognized you know what I mean you being recognized that was a true blessing," he said (21:00).
Penny Hardaway would play for the NBA in 1993 and had a 14-year career, playing for the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and the Miami Heat. He would get selected in the 1996 US Olympic Team, also known as the Dream Team II, which won the gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics.
In 2015, he ventured into coaching and served as an assistant coach for the East High School team before becoming a head coach in 2017-18. In 2018, Hardaway was selected as coach of the Memphis Tigers team and helped the team make two NCAA Tournaments in 2022 and 2023. He currently has a 141-64 record, including an 8-2 mark in the 2024-25 college basketball season.