In the new book, "Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever," sports journalist Jack McCallum writes of the mythical basketball team of the 1992 Olympics.

The book is in many ways a tribute to the team that made people around the world fans of the American sport. Except for one controversy, which has tainted the book or given it good publicity depending on how you look at it. Clyde Drexler is quoted as saying that Magic Johnson was a dead weight and didn't contribute to the team.

''He couldn't play much by that time. He couldn't guard his shadow,'' Drexler is quoted as saying in the book. ''But you have to understand what was going on then. Everybody kept waiting for Magic to die. Every time he'd run up the court everybody would feel sorry for the guy, and he'd get all that benefit of the doubt.''

But Drexler denies saying this and has gone as far as to suggest that McCullum made up the offending quotes.

''I take great exception to having such comments attributed to me,'' Drexler said. ''I have nothing but love and respect for Magic Johnson and all that he has accomplished in basketball and in life. I always took pride in being a great teammate throughout my career and I would never have made the statements that were reported in Jack McCallum's book.''

"Dream Team" is due out on July 10.