"Damn, David Robinson got that monkey off his back" - Mitch Richmond thought he would never get a chance to redeem himself after the 1988 Olympics loss

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"Damn, David Robinson got that monkey off his back" - Mitch Richmond thought he would never get a chance to redeem himself after the 1988 Olympics loss originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond was one of the members of the last all-amateur U.S. men's basketball team to compete in the summer Olympic Games in 1988. That team failed to win the gold medal in Seoul and settled for the bronze.
Although he won NBA Rookie of the Year honors the following year, Richmond carried the stigma of that defeat as he began his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors. As the years went by, Mitch began to think he'd never get a shot at redemption, especially with NBA stars dominating the national team and making a second opportunity feel out of reach.
But in an unexpected twist of fate, Richmond got the call to play for the 1996 version of the Dream Team in the Atlanta Olympics and won the gold medal. Looking back, he talked about how sweet that route to redemption was.
"It was a monkey off my back," said Richmond. "Cuz I never thought I'd have an opportunity to get back to the Olympics. So I watched David Robinson, who was on that team with me in '88, get a gold medal. He was on the '92 team, the Dream Team. And I'm like, 'Damn, David Robinson got that monkey off his back.' Man, he got the gold medal. So I never thought I'd have an opportunity."
It was almost impossible to get a second crack
David Robinson was arguably the best player on Richmond's 1988 Olympic team. And after winning Rookie of the Year honors for the San Antonio Spurs in 1990, The Admiral quickly became one of the top centers in the NBA and earned one of the 12 coveted spots on the original Dream Team, which demolished the opposition in Barcelona and brought back the gold to U.S. soil.
While Richmond blossomed into a six-time NBA All-Star after he was traded to the Sacramento Kings in 1991, he did not gain enough superstar status to make the 1992 Dream Team. And with plenty of young talent entering the league every year, it was almost impossible to get a second crack at playing for the U.S. team. Yet, somehow, it happened for Mitch.
"I think I was the last selection in '96 and had an opportunity to win the gold," added Richmond. "We had Charles Barkley, Pippen, Gary Payton, Stockton, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Olajuwon, Karl Malone, and Reggie Miller." Jordan lobbied for Richmond's inclusion in the 1996 Dream Team
While Richmond had a case to make the team as he was an All-Star and All-NBA second team member in 1995, his Olympic runback got a huge boost when the GOAT, Michael Jordan himself, lobbied for his inclusion on the team. USA Basketball was courting Jordan to return in 1996 along with Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Robinson. But instead of saying yes, Mike made a pitch for Mitch.
"You know, I would pick Mitch Richmond for that extra spot on the Olympic team," said MJ. "Give him a chance to redeem himself after '88. I love Mitch like a brother. He deserves an opportunity to get a gold…I may be biased a little bit."
On April 12, 1996, USA Basketball awarded the final two spots on the 1996 U.S. Team to Barkley and Richmond. Mitch went on to average 9.6 points per game in the tournament and ranked second behind Reggie Miller on the team in 3-pointers made. They walloped Serbia and Montenegro 95-69 in the gold medal game, and the monkey that grew to become a gorilla as time passed was finally off Mitch's back.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.