When a new policy allowed the United States to send its professional basketball Dream Team to the 1992 Olympic Games, the most devoted autograph-seekers and photo-opportunists were from other teams in the tournament. Never again, they reasoned, would they have the chance to play against, get their programs signed by and pictures taken with the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley.

People still rave about the never-ending lines of moniker-seekers and photo-posers when the Americans ventured out in Barcelona.

In 1989, international basketball’s governing body had OK’d our NBA players to enter the Olympics to even the odds (after the ’88 U.S. team had to settle for a bronze medal). Prior to the ’92 games, only European and South American professionals were allowed in the Olympics. The Dream Team won gold with an average victory margin of 43.8 points. Coach Chuck Daly never used a timeout.

Of the 12 guys on that team, 10 would be named officially in ’96 among the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Only Christian Laettner and Chris Mullin didn’t make it.

The playing field had been more than leveled. With another collection of NBA stars, America won 1996 Olympic gold with the average margin of victory 32.3 points.

It wasn’t nearly so easy in 2000, even though the United States went undefeated and scored another gold medal. International ball was improving and more foreign players were making it in the NBA – then haunting the Americans in the Olympics.

The magic had really vanished by 2004 when Larry Brown’s Yanks were beaten by Puerto Rico, Lithuania and Argentina. The slap-dash team never did jell and several players said they were humiliated by getting only a bronze medal. Team U.S.A. had lost only two games in previous Olympic play. It blew three in this one tournament.

So we come to 2008 with a Mike Krzyzewski-led American crew that has been dubbed The Redeem Team to focus on its goal to restore our basketball as the master of the universe. Crowds of admirers in Beijing, China, aren’t likely to be anything what they were in ’92 in Spain but they will be huge.

The career of Yao Ming, the incredibly popular Houston Rocket control tower, has millions of Chinese nutty about pro basketball. Yao hopes to play for his Chinese national team but so many Chinese have seen NBA games via television, because of Yao’s impact, that they’ll crawl out of the woodwork to lionize the Americans.

However, the U.S. basketball crew may not be as popular with its fellow Olympians with everyone else. Members of other American Olympic groups resent that the rich cagers get all kinds of preferential treatment with private jet travel, hoity-toy hotel rooms, gourmet food and chauffeured limos while they reside in “the village” atmosphere.

The U.S. roster has Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade and Deron Williams.

If Krzyzewski can’t strike gold with that crew, fire him!