Michael Jordan Played 36 Holes Of Golf Before ‘Dream Team’ Game, Dominated Player Who Said He Was Overrated: ‘He Guarded This Guy Like It Was Game 7 Of The Finals, This Dude Never Needed Sleep’

NBA legend Michael Jordan loves playing golf and is one of the most competitive athletes ever.

Both of these facets were on full display during the summer of 1992 in Barcelona when the Chicago Bulls legend suited up for “The Dream Team” in the Olympics.

Before a “Dream Team” game, Jordan not only played 36 holes of golf and chose not to sleep to get some rest, but he also guarded a point guard who called him overrated and made his life miserable.

Charles Barkley and Mike Krzyzewski spoke with Ernie Johnson about how Jordan never slept during “The Dream Team” experience. Barkley told a fascinating story involving Jordan, golf and the term “overrated.”

“We get up one morning. We got a game. I think it was at like 6 o’clock. Me, David Robinson, Chuck Daly and Michael go and play 18 holes of golf. And then Chuck says — by this time, it’s around noon — let’s go back and get some rest,” Barkley said. “Michael’s like, ‘Well, imma play 18 more.’ And we go like, ‘Michael, we got a game tonight.’ He’s like, ‘Imma play 18 more.’

“So we get to the game and Chuck says, ‘Hey Charles, you got this guy, Patrick [Ewing], you got this guy, Michael, you got that guy.’ He says, ‘Oh no, I got the point guard.’ He had read in the newspaper that this guy said Michael Jordan was overrated and he could score on him, and I’m not even lying Ernie, he guarded this guy like it was Game 7 of the Finals. This dude never needed sleep.”

Jordan not only got two rounds of golf in, but he also tormented his opponent on defense and made the point guard pay for calling him overrated. It’s too bad we don’t know who the player was that called Jordan overrated.

“The Dream Team” went undefeated in the 1992 Olympics. Barkley led the team in scoring, but Jordan was undoubtedly the face of the club.

Jordan and “The Dream Team” changed everything about international basketball in 1992. Their popularity was responsible for the NBA’s profile taking a huge jump by shaping how the world felt about basketball in America.

After the 1992 Olympics, the NBA saw a rise in international players coming to America to play in their league. Jordan and “The Dream Team” unquestionably helped bring sports to a place in which they could have global cultural influence.

Jordan finished the 1992 Olympics with averages of 14.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He was also the only player to start every game.

Since he was the best player in the NBA and the focal point performer of “The Dream Team,” Jordan’s popularity soared in the summer of 1992 and he became a global superstar.

However, being a global star wasn’t always fun for Jordan.

No matter where he went, Jordan had no privacy whatsoever. He couldn’t go out in public without getting bombarded by fans asking for pictures and autographs.

Being the most popular person on the planet wasn’t always enjoyable for Jordan because he couldn’t do normal things with his family. That was the price Jordan had to pay for being the greatest athlete and entertainer in the world.