Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep388: How the Dream team dominated 1992 Olympics in Basketball

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Ep388: How the Dream team dominated 1992 Olympics in Basketball · Kidcast Daily

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  Kick off Countdown, turn it up loud.
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  We're on now. Sneakers on the floor, Hear the
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  team run. Heartbeats racing.
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  Here comes the fun. From the field to your
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  headphones. Play by play kid.
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  Cats daily talking game day. Welcome back to Kick Ass Daily.
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  Get ready to learn something awesome today, whether it's
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  sports records, science, discoveries, history, mysteries,
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  or wild trivia. Today we are traveling to
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  Barcelona, Spain in the summer of 1992, when a group of
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  basketball players came together to make history at the Olympic
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  Games. So let's get on with today's
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  episode. Picture the scene in real life.
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  Crowds fill arenas, Cameras flash.
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  Banners hang from balconies. The Olympics bring athletes from
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  around the world, and in 1992, there was a brand new rule in
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  basketball. For the first time, professional
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  players from the United States could compete.
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  That meant the best of the best could wear the same uniform.
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  Sports fans called them the Dream Team, and people around
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  the world wanted to see what would happen.
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  The roster was packed with names that filled sports pages and
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  highlight shows. Michael Jordan was there, known
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  for clutch shots and quick hands.
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  Magic Johnson brought his creative passing and big smile.
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  Larry Bird arrived with his steady shooting and calm
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  leadership. Charles Barkley was strong near
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  the hoop and could score in a hurry.
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  Scottie Pippen defended everywhere on the court and ran
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  the fast break with skill. David Robinson and Patrick Ewing
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  protected the paint and scored inside.
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  Karl Malone powered through defenders.
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  John Stockton delivered precise passes.
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  Clyde Drexler soared to the rim. Chris Mullen hit 3 pointers with
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  a smooth touch. Christian Lehtner, the only
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  college player on the team, joined as a rising star.
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  Their head coach, Chuck Daly, had a smart plan.
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  He wanted teamwork, ball movement, unselfish play and
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  strong defense. His assistants, Lenny Wilkins,
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  PJ Carlesimo and Mike Kraschevsky helped shape
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  practices and game plans. Before Barcelona.
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  The team trained and prepared, and here comes A twist that
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  surprises a lot of listeners. In an early scrimmage, a squad
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  of college All Stars beat the Dream Team for one short game.
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  That college group included future professionals like Chris
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  Webber, Grant Hill, Bobby Hulley, Alan Houston and Jamal
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  Mashburn. They played hard and caught the
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  veterans off guard. Coach Daily used the moment as a
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  lesson. He emphasized focus,
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  conditioning and communication. The next day, when they played
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  again, the Dream Team locked in and won decisively.
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  Players later said that those practices were some of the most
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  intense sessions they had ever experienced because the standard
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  was so high on both sides of the ball.
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  When the Olympics began, the world watched.
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  The first game against Angola set the tone. the United States
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  won by a very large margin, and fans saw something important.
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  This team did not rely on one player.
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  Passes zipped around, shots came from everywhere, substitutions
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  kept the pace high. Each opponent had a plan, but
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  the United States answered with depth at every position.
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  Ball handlers pushed the tempo, shooters spaced the floor and
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  big men finished near the rim. The tournament moved quickly
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  through preliminary games. The Dream Team defeated Angola,
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  Croatia, Germany, Brazil and Spain in the group stage.
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  The scores were not close. The average margin of victory
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  for the entire event ended up at about 44 points per game.
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  The team scored well over 100 points almost every night and
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  held opponents far below that. Charles Barkley led the team in
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  scoring during the Olympics, averaging about 18 points per
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  game. But on any given day, someone
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  new could lead. Chris Mullen would sink outside
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  shots in bunches. Karl Malone would run the floor
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  and finish strong. Clyde Drexler would attack the
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  lane. Michael Jordan would steal the
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  ball and throw down a dunk. Scottie Pippen would pressure
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  the inbounds pass and disrupt plays.
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  David Robinson and Patrick Ewing would block shots and rebound.
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  It looked like an All Star showcase, but the effort level
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  stayed serious and the defense mattered.
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  Coach Daly had an interesting statistic of his own.
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  By the end of the games, he did not call a single timeout in any
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  Olympic match. The players communicated on the
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  court, made adjustments and kept control of the pace.
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  Their practices and experience allowed them to handle runs and
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  answer quickly without huddles. This detail amazed coaches and
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  players from other teams and showed how prepared the roster
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  was. There were light moments, too.
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  John Stockton, who is one of the greatest passers in basketball
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  history, walked around Barcelona with his family, wearing simple
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  clothes. He even stood near a large
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  poster of the Dream Team. People did not always recognize
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  him. One tourist took a photo with
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  him and did not realize until later that he had met a member
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  of the team. It was a funny example of how
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  not every star was instantly known worldwide at the time.
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  That would change soon. In the quarterfinals, the United
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  States faced Puerto Rico and won comfortably.
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  In the semifinals, they met Lithuania, A talented group with
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  strong shooters and creative offense. the United States
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  pulled away with steady defense and fast breaks, scoring in long
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  stretches and limiting open looks.
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  Then came the gold medal game against Croatia.
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  Croatia had skilled players and had pushed the United States
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  harder than most earlier in the tournament.
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  In the final, the United States built a lead through unselfish
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  passing and balance scoring and one 117 to 85 closing the event
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  with control. From tip off to buzzer, the
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  players hugged, shook hands and waved to the fans.
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  Medals were placed around their necks on the podium as the crowd
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  cheered. The Dream Teams impact went
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  beyond the scoreboard. Many international opponents
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  asked for photos and autographs, sometimes even before games.
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  This showed how much respect there was for the team and for
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  the sport itself. It did not lower the competition
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  on the court, but it added a friendly connection that people
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  remembered years later. Young players in many countries
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  watched the games on television. They saw fast passing, smart
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  spacing and teamwork at a level that was new to global
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  audiences. Coaches in different countries
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  discussed the strategies they had seen, like help defense,
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  switching on screens and moving the ball to find the open
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  shooter. The result?
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  Overtime was growth. More kids signed up for
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  basketball in clubs and schools. Professional leagues around the
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  world gained energy in later Olympics and international
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  tournaments. Teams from Europe, South America
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  and other regions became stronger and more creative.
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  There are many statistics, but a few stand out. the United States
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  won all eight games they played. Their average margin of victory
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  was about 43.8 points. They scored over 100 points in
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  every game. They never trailed late and
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  their opponents rarely scored more than 90.
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  Charles Barkley was the leading scorer.
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  Michael Jordan LED in steals. John Stockton and Magic Johnson
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  piled up assists even though they shared minutes with two
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  other point guards. Scottie Pippen defended multiple
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  positions and ran the floor for easy baskets.
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  David Robinson and Patrick Ewing combined for rebounds and
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  blocked shots that shut down the paint.
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  Larry Bird, battling back issues, still hit timely shots
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  and provided steadiness. Chris Mullins faced the floor
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  with accurate shooting. Clyde Drexler brought slashing
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  drives. Christian Lechner contributed
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  off the bench as the youngest member of the group.
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  There was also a practice in Monte Carlo that many players
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  later called the toughest game they ever played.
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  It was not against an outside opponent.
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  It was Team USA versus Team USA, starters rotating veterans
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  challenging each other. The gym was small, the air was
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  hot and nobody wanted to lose even a drill.
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  Those sessions sharpen them for Barcelona and kept the standard
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  high. When people think about the
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  Dream Team today, they remember the talent, but they also
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  remember the teamwork Stars who were used to being the first
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  option on their own. Clubs took fewer shots, set
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  screens for each other and made extra passes.
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  Coach Daily System gave everyone clear roles that made the final
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  product strong and smooth. It taught a lesson that
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  listeners can use in school, sports, music, robotics, or any
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  group activity. When everyone brings their best
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  skill, shares the work, and respects the plan, the group can
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  reach a level that one person alone cannot match.
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  So here is the take away. The Dream Team dominated the
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  1992 Olympics because they combined world class skill with
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  preparation, unselfish play and respect for the game.
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  They entertained crowds and set a standard that many teams still
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  study. Their wins were big, but the
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  bigger effect was how they open doors for players around the
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  world who saw what was possible. If you find yourself joining
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  A-Team, remember what they showed.
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  Practice with purpose, communicate clearly and support
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  your teammates. That is a gold medal recipe you
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  can use long after the final buzzer.