Current:Home > StocksLenny Wilkens tells how Magic Johnson incited Michael Jordan during lazy Dream Team practice -Finovate
Lenny Wilkens tells how Magic Johnson incited Michael Jordan during lazy Dream Team practice
View
Date:2025-04-15 19:49:36
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! (12)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- In Latest Blow to Solar Users, Nevada Sticks With Rate Hikes
- Senate 2020: In Alabama, Two Very Different Views on Climate Change Give Voters a Clear Choice
- Vaccination and awareness could help keep mpox in check this summer
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Big City Mayors Around the World Want Green Stimulus Spending in the Aftermath of Covid-19
- ‘Extreme’ Iceberg Seasons Threaten Oil Rigs and Shipping as the Arctic Warms
- iCarly's Jerry Trainor Shares His Thoughts on Jennette McCurdy's Heartbreaking Memoir
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- One year after Roe v. Wade's reversal, warnings about abortion become reality
Ranking
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- NASCAR jet dryer ready to help speed up I-95 opening in Philadelphia
- Lily-Rose Depp and 070 Shake's Romance Reaches New Heights During Airport PDA Session
- Q&A: A Law Professor Studies How Business is Making Climate Progress Where Government is Failing
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Caught Off Guard: The Southeast Struggles with Climate Change
- Q&A: A Law Professor Studies How Business is Making Climate Progress Where Government is Failing
- Even the Hardy Tardigrade Will Take a Hit From Global Warming
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Clean Energy Could Fuel Most Countries by 2050, Study Shows
Making It Easier For Kids To Get Help For Addiction, And Prevent Overdoses
Emma Stone’s New Curtain Bangs Have Earned Her an Easy A
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
‘Extreme’ Iceberg Seasons Threaten Oil Rigs and Shipping as the Arctic Warms
Bill Allowing Oil Exports Gives Bigger Lift to Renewables and the Climate
Trump Takes Aim at Obama-Era Rules on Methane Leaks and Gas Flaring