Well, what do you know? Its summer time, and the sports world just hit its slowest point of the year. Basketball season is over, and we're still a couple months away from the start of football season. But, we do have something to look forward to. In just about a month, the 2012 Olympic Summer games will kick off in London, and SB Nation has asked us to do a piece on our favorite Olympic Moments.
For me, two things came to mind, and both happen to be from 1992. First was Derek Redmond. Redmond was one hell of an athlete for the British. The Brits actually took Gold from a heavily favored U.S. team in the 4x400M relay at the World Championships in 1991, but after that, Redmond's luck ran out. He had a stretch of injuries, poor finishes, and even a DNF. But there was much promise at the 92' Olympics.
Once again though, bad luck struck. In the 400M semifinal, Redmond tore his hamstring just about 100M in, and it seemed like again Redmond wouldn't be finishing the race. But, out of nowhere, his father came rushing to his aid, and helped his son to the finish. That heartfelt moment has been made into plenty of commercials over the years, so I'm sure you know it very well, but for those who don't, here's the video.
That was definitely a great moment in Olympic history, but for me, it doesn't top this next one. Prior to 1992, the governing body of international basketball, FIBA, had prohibited NBA basketball players from competing in the Olympics. Even though pros from other countries were allowed to play, it was basically seen as pros vs. amateurs if the NBAers were allowed.
Because of this, it was always college players who took the court for the Red White and Blue. And, while they did well against international competition, in 1988 those college players took Bronze in the summer games in Seoul, South Korea. Considering basketball is an American sport, that finish was simply unacceptable.
Then, in April 1989, FIBA lifted the ban of NBA players from the Olympics, and soon enough, we were looking for pro players to star in the 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona. And so, "The Dream Team" was born. On September 21, 1991 it was announced that Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullen, David Robinson, and Charles Barkley would be the first ten members of the squad.
Clyde Drexler was the final pro selected, and while the original plan was for the team to have a combination of both pros and college players, after 11 Hall of Famers said they were ready to suit up, the only college player selected was Duke's Christian Laettner.
Needless to say, that team went on to win Gold in the 92' games. In fact, they absolutely dominated. "The Dream Team" won their games by an average of 44 points a game, and the closest match they had was a 117-85 victory over Croatia in the Gold medal game.
Not only did "The Dream Team" reestablish American basketball as the best in the world, but they gave us an opportunity to witness what most consider the best basketball team ever assembled. For me, that's my favorite Olympic sports moment.
Celebrate the most compelling moments in Summer Games history with 'Memorable Moments' on Yahoo! Sports. Re-live moments such as Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10s in Montreal, Michael Phelps' record eight gold medals in Beijing, Carl Lewis' unforgettable four gold medals in Los Angeles, the spectacular success of the 1992 US Dream Team, Muhammad Ali in Rome and Atlanta, and any more!
These special moments are showcased through exclusive video, iconic photos, and stories on Yahoo!'s hub dedicated to the coverage of the Games. Enjoy the unique storytelling from Yahoo! Sports' award-winning writers and experts, as well as through the lens of Yahoo!'s users themselves.
Check out Memorable Moments on Yahoo! Sports!