The Dream Team made its official debut 27 years ago this summer in Barcelona, opening up play with a win against Angola, a team that didn't have a player over 6-foot-7 tall.
The U.S. men's basketball team's 68-point win over Angola was the largest margin of victory in Olympic basketball history. It was the first confirmation of their greatness and the team was widely celebrated _ even by the Angola players. The Dream Team's opponents turned into fawning fans after the 116-48 loss, posing for pictures and collecting autographs from the team that had just steamrolled them.
Contrast this to the treatment that the U.S. women's soccer team received Tuesday after defeating Thailand, 13-0, in the opening game of World Cup play.