#2 Lone defeat at hands of a college team
The fact that the greatest team of all time, the Dream Team of 1992, went undefeated in the Olympics is well known. What is often overlooked that they did suffer a loss in a scrimmage. It makes it all the more galling that their only loss was at the hands of a lowly college team.
Early in his career, Magic Johnson practically fired Lakers coach Paul Westhead by issuing an ultimatum: either he goes, or I go. Michael Jordan and coach Doug Collins had a contentious relationship between them. Charles Barkley meanwhile marched to the beat of a drum only audible to himself.
Coach Chuck Daly had the task of coaching them. He was the head coach of the Detroit Pistons of the Bad Boys Pistons era. A time when players were allowed to pummel the living daylights out of each other. How does he get players to buy into what he's selling when he's been responsible for innumerable body hits conducted on their person?
While it is a salivating prospect to assemble the greatest competitors of all time on one team, there is a flip side to that. What do you do when their competitive instincts turn on each other? How do you get such uber-competitive athletes to buy into your program? How do you get them to not loosen up in the face of inferior competition and risk a slip-up?
You orchestrate a losing match by sitting your best player and making no adjustments. Then, any time the team dissents, all you have to do is remind them that they got their behinds kicked by college kids.
Coach Daly masterminded the entire affair. In a practice match between the Dream Team and a college team, he sat Jordan out for most of the game and refused to make adjustments. The college team deserves its share of credit, they weren't slouches. Largely thanks to inspired play from their point guard Bob Hurley who was guarded by Magic., they were able to put pressure on the Dream Team through dribble penetration.
The college team won the match 88-80. Needless to say, there was a rematch where Jordan featured a bit more prominently. The final margin of victory was roughly 40 points.
Guess the Lakers players!
