Carmelo Anthony throws down a dunk for Team USA at the 2016 Olympics CHAPTER ONE TEAM USA PRO OR COLLEGE PLAYERS It's hard today to imagine Olympic basketball without players from the National Basketball Association NBA and Women's National Basketball Association WNBA But the best players in the world weren't always allowed to participate in the Olympics Until 1989 USA Basketball the governing body for all teams that represent the country in international play did not allow professionals to compete Instead college players filled the rosters of all US basketball teams Given that the United States
The 1988 US men's Olympic team was the last to be made up of college players
was the lone world power in the sport they usually had plenty of success in international competition At the 1988 Summer Olympics the eligibility restrictions were loosened and countries were allowed to have professionals play on their teams The United States still fielded a team of college players The US team finished a disappointing third in the men's tournament After that humiliating bronze medal USA Basketball decided to start sending NBA players to international tournaments The change began with the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Games A US team that included many future Hall of Famers including Michael Jordan Magic Johnson and Larry Bird dominated the competition The Dream Team was the biggest story of the Olympics that year But should professionals be allowed to play in international competition Was the change good for the sport Or should YOUNG STARS In 1980 USA Basketball assembled its youngest men's national team ever but it didn't take part in the Summer Olympics The United States boycotted those games because the Soviet Union which was hosting the Games had recently invaded Afghanistan Instead the team played exhibition games against five NBA all star teams The national team only lost once
