By the time Charles Barkley was selected for the 1992 Olympics’ Dream Team, he had gained notoriety in the NBA as an incredibly short-tempered and physical player. Team USA, going up to the Barcelona Olympics, was set to face international teams that ranked far below them in terms of star power, One of Team USA’s matchups was against Angola, whom they were to face in the tournament’s group stage. However, Barkley’s antics posed a bigger threat to Team USA than the skills of the Angolan players.
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In a press conference ahead of the game, Charles Barkley famously quipped, “I don’t know anything about Angola. But Angola’s in trouble.” In his 2022 book Barkley: A Biography, Timothy Bella noted how Chuck’s aggressive style of play had raised concerns during the game’s early minutes. In a question posed to broadcaster Mike Fratello at the time, Marv Albert had asked, “Do you get the idea that one way or another, he [Charles Barkley] might cause an international incident?”
The concern was very valid as Barkley elbowed Angolan player Herlander Coimbra in the chest during Team USA’s matchup against Angola. The Round Mound of Rebound had nudged Coimbra on his way back after scoring a basket. Barkley was called for an unintentional foul on the play and seemed unapologetic after the game, claiming he was hit first. This foul resulted in a free throw for Coimbra, who scored the only point for Angola during a 46-1 run by the United States.
Charles Barkley’s response to this play was extremely ignorant as he judged Coimbra to be someone who “hasn’t eaten in a couple of weeks” and dismissed the whole controversy as nothing more than “a figment of the American media’s imagination.” When asked by Bob Costas if the elbowing incident was ‘keeping with the ideals of the Olympics’, Barkley joked about how he thought Coimbra would “pull a spear” on him. In addition, the Chuckster also added that the elbow was an ‘ideal of the playground’ because he was hit first.
Later, reflecting on Barkley’s remarks, Costas understood that the arrogance of Team USA was quite valid. The international players were swarming to click pictures with the American stars mid-game, with even Coimbra trying to do the same with Barkley. The players would put their arms around the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley, given that they had never shared the floor with stars of such magnanimity. Often, such distractions would cause these teams to mess up their games.
Describing the performance of Team USA, Coimbra later remarked, “Those guys were on another level- a galaxy far, far away.” Years after this incident, both Coimbra and Barkley developed a good bond with each other. Coimbra’s incident with Barkley heightened his fame and made him somewhat of a national hero in Angola. The Angolan player even admitted that he had clicked a picture with Sir Charles even after getting elbowed.
The buzz the Dream Team generated around the world was unbelievable, even for the members of the Dream Team. That outing for Team USA really established the NBA’s popularity on a global stage. And the dominance of Team USA in the competition was the best commercial that the NBA could have ever expected.
International teams were starstruck playing against the Dream Team
The 1992 Dream Team was nothing short of being a live constellation of stars. The international teams facing Team USA didn’t anticipate the level of dominance they were to witness from this Dream Team. Many opponents were even so star-struck sharing the floor with the likes of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson that they would stop plays or request a picture from the bench mid-game.
While playing against Argentina, a player refused to move towards the basket while being guarded by Magic Johnson. When the Lakeshow legend asked the player what he was doing, he replied that he was waiting for his friend to snap a Polaroid of him being guarded by Johnson. While the player ran back down the court, Johnson noticed another player weeping. Overwhelmed after meeting the Showtime Lakers legend, the player said, “Mr. Johnson, I cannot believe it’s you. I used to watch you late at night. This is the thrill of my life.”
It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the international players to witness the greatness of the NBA superstars. The Dream Team won the gold medal from this tournament, with Charles Barkley being the team’s top scorer.
