During the summer of 1992 a group of 12 American basketball players set off to win an Olympic gold medal in Barcelona Spain. Only this particular group competing as the 1992 United States Men's Basketball team was special. In fact they were dubbed the "Dream Team" as they represented the first American Olympic squad to feature active professional NBA players and proved to be unstoppable. Described by American journalists as the greatest sports team ever assembled and called "the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet" by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame the unbeatable bunch annihilated each opponent by an average of almost 44 points per game in capturing the gold medal. They defeated Croatia in the championship game by the score of 117-85 close by their standards. The Dream Team blew out earlier opponents by the following margins: Angola (68 points); Croatia (the first time 33); Germany (43); Brazil (44); Spain (41); Puerto Rico (38); and Lithuania (51).

Led by co-captains Larry Bird and Magic Johnson the team was coached by longtime Detroit Pistons head coach Chuck Daly who was assisted by fellow NBA coaches Lenny Wilkens and P.J. Carlesimo along with Duke's legendary Mike Krzyzewski. Every player on the squad brought impeccable credentials to the table including Michael Jordan Charles Barkley Patrick Ewing Clyde Drexler John Stockton Karl Malone Chris Mullin Scottie Pippen and David Robinson. The 12th and final player was the reigning NCAA Player of the Year out of Duke Christian Laettner. During the seven games of Olympic competition the Dream Team was led in scoring by Barkley who averaged 18 points per game Jordan (14.9) Malone (13) and Mullin (12.9). At this time 11 of the 12 players (except Laettner) and three of the four coaches (except Carlesimo) have been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

This lot features what might very well be the first multi-signed “Dream Team” basketball ever. An autograph pursuit spearheaded by longtime sports columnist and NBA-TV analyst Peter Vecsey the Spalding Indoor/Outdoor basketball – entitled “1992 Olympic Champs” – was first signed in late 1991 by Bird and Johnson in Worcester Mass. as the Celtics and Lakers played a pair of exhibition games where both legends dressed in the same locker room. The inscription "1992 Olympic Champs" was written by Johnson (a nice prediction of sorts) before the team even played a game. During the course of the 1991-92 NBA season Vecsey maintained his pursuit by getting other Dream Team members to sign the basketball as various selections were announced. The final player to sign the basketball was Clyde Drexler someone who Vecsey pushed for hard in his USA Today column to be part of the Dream Team experience.  A total of 11 of the 12 Dream Team members have signed this basketball in black marker (only Laettner is missing) including: Bird Johnson Jordan Malone Ewing Robinson Barkley Mullin Stockton Pippen and Drexler. In addition Vecsey was able to also score the signatures of both Dream Team Head Coach Chuck Daly as well as former NBA Commissioner David J. Stern. Truly an exceptional piece of Olympic and NBA basketball memorabilia commemorating the greatest team ever assembled.

Includes LOA from Peter Vecsey.