Current:Home > FinanceLenny Wilkens tells how Magic Johnson incited Michael Jordan during lazy Dream Team practice -Momentum Wealth Path
Lenny Wilkens tells how Magic Johnson incited Michael Jordan during lazy Dream Team practice
View
Date:2025-04-24 18:04:31
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! (37879)
Related
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Oklahoma judge caught sending texts during a murder trial resigns
- 'He Gets Us' returns with new Super Bowl commercials for Jesus
- How many Super Bowls have the 49ers won? All of San Francisco's past victories and appearances
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- She lost her wedding ring in a recycling bin. City workers spent hours searching until they found it.
- Taylor Swift's fans track down her suite, waiting for glimpse of her before Super Bowl
- Alex Ovechkin tops Wayne Gretzky's record for empty net goals as streak hits four games
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Super Bowl winners throughout history: Full list from 2023 all the way back to the first in 1967
Ranking
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Inside Janet Jackson's Infamous Super Bowl Wardrobe Malfunction and Its Even More Complicated Aftermath
- Caitlin Clark points tracker: See how close Iowa women's basketball star is to NCAA record
- Hundreds gather in St. Louis to remember former US Sen. Jean Carnahan
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Rush Over to See Jay-Z, Blake Lively and More Stars at Super Bowl 2024
- How much does a Super Bowl commercial cost in 2024? 30-second ad prices through history
- Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Defy Gravity in Wicked Trailer Released During Super Bowl 2024
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
How many Super Bowls have the 49ers won? All of San Francisco's past victories and appearances
'Game manager'? Tired label means Super Bowl double standard for Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes
Cher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige top the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2024 nominee list
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
Nicaragua’s crackdown on Catholic Church spreads fear among the faithful, there and in exile
Jeff Bezos sells nearly 12 million Amazon shares worth at least $2 billion, with more to come
‘Lisa Frankenstein’ fails to revive North American box office on a very slow Super Bowl weekend