"I didn't think he would fit in, and I was right" - Scottie Pippen named the only unworthy member of the Dream Team
The USA men's basketball team mustered arguably the greatest squad in the history of the sport when they formed the Dream Team in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, with the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley leading the way.
However, Scottie Pippen said there was an odd one out on the Dream Team. According to Pip, it was then-NBA rookie Christian Laettner.
"I agreed with each pick except Laettner," Pippen wrote in his book, "Unguarded" via NBC Sports. "I didn't think he would fit in, and I was right."
Pippen was vouching for Wilkins
Laettner was no way near the level of Barkley, Karl Malone or even Chris Mullin at the time. His college resume was remarkable, though, as he was a two-time NCAA champion, NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and ACC Tourney MVP, among others.
However, Pippen argued that there was a handful of high-level NBA players who fitted the bill but the team still settled with Laettner. For Pip, Dominique Wilkins would've been a much better choice.
"The committee should have chosen another NBA player, and plenty were worthy. My preference was Dominique Wilkins," Pippen voiced.
Nique felt the same way
As it turned out, Wilkins was shortlisted for the Dream Team. Unfortunately for "The Human Highlight Film," he was injured during the Barcelona Olympics.
In 1994, Nique captained the Dream Team II but he was confident that he would've also been included in the original Dream Team if it wasn't for his injury.
"I would have been on the original Dream Team, I'm sure of it," Wilkins reflected. "But I was dealing with Achilles problems around then. So they invited me on Dream Team II to be the vet, one of the statesmen with Joe [Dumars]. They put together a hell of a team. We knew going in that we were gonna beat everyone by 20—at least."
Laettner played in all of Team USA's eight games in the tournament. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and one steal per game. That said, it's safe to say a veteran perennial All-Star like Wilkins could've made an even bigger impact than a young Laettner on the international stage.
Then again, perhaps the team didn't need more superstars on the roster, which is why they chose an NBA rookie instead.
