The Team USA roster for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics was dubbed the Dream Team as it featured the NBA’s finest players. Eleven of the 12 superstars on the roster became Hall of Famers. It would have been 12 for 12 had Team USA picked Shaquille O’Neal ahead of Christian Laettner. However, they opted for the latter, which irked the center and motivated him to make it to the 1996 team.
Advertisement
In his book, Shaq Uncut, the Lakers icon discussed how his snub from the Dream Team shaped his mindset ahead of the Atlanta Olympics. He wrote,
“I had some extra motivation heading into those Olympics. They called us “Dream Team II” because we were following the 1992 Dream Team, which had Mike and Magic and Larry and all those guys. I was the final cut of that team… It came down to me and Christian Laettner, and they gave it to him because he had more international experience, whatever the hell that meant.”
The Team USA selection committee had picked 11 NBA players for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and reserved one spot for a college player. O’Neal and Christian Laettner were in contention for it. The Duke superstar was eventually picked to represent the nation in Spain.
While the LSU center believed he was more talented and deserved the spot, Laettner did have more international experience. The Blue Devils icon made his debut for the national team in the FIBA Americas Championship in 1989.
The following year, he represented Team USA in the Goodwill Games and the FIBA World Cup. The center was also part of the bronze medal-winning roster in the 1990 Pan American Games. Given Laettner’s extensive experience representing Team USA, the selection committee rewarded him with the spot on the Dream Team over O’Neal.
The Hall of Famer would get his opportunity on another star-studded roster in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. However, his experience wasn’t as pleasant as he envisioned.
Shaq’s first and last stint in the Olympics
O’Neal did not feature heavily in the 1996 Olympics but still left his mark in every game. Through the first seven matches, he averaged 10.3 points and six rebounds in only 17 minutes per game.
He was eager to have an impactful outing in the final, but head coach Lenny Wilkens scuppered his plans. In his book Shaq Uncut, he wrote,
“I barely played in the gold medal game. I played about five minutes total. [Coach Lenny] Wilkens put me in for the final fifteen seconds. I think I had 2 points. It was David Robinson’s third Olympics and my first. So you can’t give me some time? I was really disappointed. After we won, I took my medal, and I jumped in my car, and I drove home.”
Hall of Famer David Robinson was playing his final game for Team USA and Wilkens wanted him to play as many minutes as he wished. That did not sit well with the Lakers icon. Despite winning the gold medal, a disappointed O’Neal did not stick around to celebrate.
He was summoned to play in the 2000 Sydney Olympics but refused the call-up. The 1996 Olympics was the only tournament that the center played in.
