Current:Home > ScamsLenny Wilkens tells how Magic Johnson incited Michael Jordan during lazy Dream Team practice -Infinite Edge Capital
Lenny Wilkens tells how Magic Johnson incited Michael Jordan during lazy Dream Team practice
View
Date:2025-04-26 06:45:31
Much has been made about the original 1992 Dream Team and how competitive the practices were, considering the players probably knew weren't going to get much competition once the team set foot in Barcelona.
Hall of Fame coach Lenny Wilkens, who was an assistant on the Dream Team, tells of one instance when practice wasn't going as planned, and head coach Chuck Daly was starting to fume at the lack of intensity.
"For a coach, it was a dream come true to have that kind of talent. And they were always ready. ... And they challenged one another."
"Guys were going through the motions, one time," Wilkens said to host Bob Kendrick on the Black Diamonds podcast.
Wilkens said he called Magic Johnson over to discuss the practice.
"We don't have to be here all day. We can be here as short a period of time depending on how we perform," Wilkens said he told Johnson.
HALL OF FAME: How Dream Team influenced inductees
Johnson didn't need another word, telling Wilkens, "I got it, coach. I'll take care of it."
According to Wilkens, Johnson talked to a few of his teammates about how they were playing and then came to Michael Jordan.
"He started to get on Michael and that's all we needed," Wilkens said. "Michael went berserk."
Jordan's antics forced Daly to stop the practice, fearing that a team member would get hurt.
"We laugh about it to this day. I saw Magic not too long ago ... and he reminded me of it," Wilkens said.
Of course, the Dream Team, the first time USA Basketball used professionals in Olympic competition, steamrolled its opponents in Barcelona by an average of 44 points a game on the way to the gold medal.
veryGood! (56)
prev:Average rate on 30
next:Sam Taylor
Related
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Vince McMahon sex trafficking lawsuit: Details, developments on WWE co-founder
- Missouri process server and police officer shot and killed after trying to serve eviction notice
- Food packaging containing toxic forever chemicals no longer sold in U.S., FDA says
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Big Ten, SEC want it all with 14-team College Football Playoff proposal
- A soldier turns himself in shortly after 4 people are killed in shootings in Germany
- Iowa star Caitlin Clark declares for WNBA draft, will skip final season of college eligibility
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Stephen Baldwin Shares Cryptic Message After Praying for Justin and Hailey Bieber
Ranking
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei Shares Gilbert Syndrome Diagnosis Causing His “Yellow Eyes”
- New York launches probe into nationwide AT&T network outage
- Staggering action sequences can't help 'Dune: Part Two' sustain a sense of awe
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Democratic lawmakers ask Justice Department to probe Tennessee’s voting rights restoration changes
- Silence of the glams: How the Oscars (usually) snubs horror movies
- Leaked gameplans? Jets tear into former teammate Mecole Hardman after podcast appearance
Recommendation
Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
In reversal, House Homeland Security chairman now says he’ll seek reelection to Congress
Florida girl still missing after mother's boyfriend arrested for disturbing images
Florida girl still missing after mother's boyfriend arrested for disturbing images
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Gamecocks at top, but where do Caitlin Clark, Iowa rank in top 16 seed predictions?
Emotional video shows 3-year-old crying for home burned to nothing but ash in Texas Panhandle wildfires
Scandinavian Airlines medevac plane lands in Malaysian island where Norwegian king is hospitalized