The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games introduced the play of professional athletes. The most vivid example was in the game of basketball and the formation of The Dream Team, one of the most dominating teams ever assembled. The members of this team all held contracts with NBA teams. Their electric play packed the building. Fans of the game pinched in every cuby hole of the arena, seeing the buzz around the game and the interest in its pro athletes.
Their dominating trail to the gold medal globalized the game of basketball. They began to reach parts of the world that had no sense of the fast past, team oriented game. Their opponents were more than just that, they were fans.
The Dream Team showed the world the fun within the game of basketball. The names of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan became familiar nouns in rounds of conversation all throughout the world. The impact of the Dream Team helped the game flourish overseas, making it a universal game as well as expanded the development of Olympic procedures.
This cap was constructed by AJD, a prominent fixture in snapback headwear. It is structured in a six panel off white crown format. A scarlet button rests at the top and the eyelits are stitched with white thread. Another key feature is a thick mesh, which is stitched inside the buckram of the hat.
Directly embroidered on the front two panels is the USA Basketball logo, which was designed for the Barcelona Olympics. The logo uses navy, white and scarlet thread to accent a star shaped path. This is clearly one of the most notable logos that came out of the 1990’s.
Both the under visor and the top brim are wrapped in a scarlet cotton based fabric. The top brim features the facsimile signatures of 10 members on the 12 man roster. The signatures are white and are spread throughout the brim. They are applied to the brim with a heat seal flock method.
Nine of the ten signatures are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. These are the men who put basketball on the world stage, allowing for it to develop and grow throughout the world.

Text: J.Wheeler