Why are professional basketball players from the NBA allowed to play in the Olympics?

Question

This is the only sport in the Olympics that allow this. All the other sports consist of amateur athletes.

Answer 1

The USA was the LAST country that was allowed to play professionals in the Olympics.  Everyone else was doing that long before we did.  And until 1988, our college kids destroyed the pros from all over the world. We never legitimately lost a game until 1988, and that was the only game we  actually lost in the 20th century.

Steffi Graf won the first Olympic gold medal in tennis (1988).  She was the furthest thing from an amateur, of course, having won tennis' grand slam that very year.

Answer 2

I been wondering the same thing. I am sick of looking at Kobe

Bryant and LeBron James! I think there are some other non NBA players that should have a chance to shine.

Answer 3

erm, lionel messi is a pro and hes playing the olympics so yea not only basketball.

Answer 4

If there is one basketball rule that has consistently befuddled the experts, it is the rule that led to the participation of NBA players in the Olympics.

In 1988, the U.S. lost to the Soviet Union in the Olympic semifinal game in Seoul, South Korea, and had to settle for the bronze medal. About eight months later, the rules were changed and NBA players became eligible to play in international competition. So the assumption by a large segment of the media was that American basketball officials were angered by the loss, and thus decided to declare NBA players eligible so the U.S. could reclaim its rightful spot as the best basketball country in the world.

That would seem to make sense - except that it is not true. When the U.S. team with college players lost in 1988, the only players who could not participate in international competition were NBA players. Brazil's brilliant scoring machine Oscar Schmidt was playing in Italy and earning a salary in the $500,000 per year range at the time. So were many others.

To FIBA Secretary-General Boris Stankovic, the head of the organization that governs international basketball, that did not seem fair. So he decided a change was needed and he led the movement to change the rules.

At the time, the NBA was not even a part of the organization that came to be known as USA Basketball, the governing body for basketball in the U.S. When the vote to change the rules was taken, in fact, the U.S. representatives voted against it. They were content for the U.S. to be represented by amateurs.

Once the rules were changed, however, the NBA was invited to become a part of USA Basketball, and it was determined that NBA players would play in the Olympics and World Championships with college and other young players continuing to represent the U.S. in all other international competition.

What is even less known, however, is that in 1986 - two years before Americans lost in '88 - the rules were nearly changed. Stankovic introduced the resolution for open play at a FIBA convention, and the vote to allow all professionals to play was 31-27. At the time, Stankovic said 18 or 19 countries abstained from voting, but if only five had changed and voted "yes," the resolution would have passed and the original Dream Team could have debuted in 1988 rather than 1992.

The truth, however, is puzzling. Why would international executives who want to win gold medals change a system after they won a gold medal?

"Two reasons," Stankovic said. "Our competition was closed to the NBA players, but no one else. That seems immoral. The second is very simple. Our feeling is that only by playing with the best players in the world can everyone else make progress. If you are from another country and you can run a race against Carl Lewis, maybe you don't have a chance. But you still want to run."

We saw that in 1992. The Dream Team whacked everyone it played, but the international players were thrilled to be on the same court. The experience for them was the same that it was for the rest of the world. That team was not only unforgettable but also responsible for the enormous boost in popularity for basketball on a global basis.

But the credit for that group getting the opportunity to play on the same team does not belong to anyone in the NBA or USA Basketball. It belongs to Boris Stankovic and his group of farsighted executives, who understood that the best way for basketball to grow globally was to put the greatest players on the world stage.

Answer 5

i guess its because we dont have amatuer basketball players that are good enough that arent in college or nba. we used to put only college players because nba was too good. we will probably have to switch back to college in london

Answer 6

well the IOC had allowed any professional players to compete in Olympics since 1992 when the U.S. sent the original dream teams to olympics and won..

Answer 7

they got sick of the 30 somethin year old russian teams claiming that they are amatuer players and that the are 22 lol when they are pros

Answer 8

I believe the Olympics states that any player of any age can play, so the US decides to NBA pro athletes to almost ensure victory over any team that gets in its way

Answer 9

They are playing for their country.  Its not USA fault that these american basketball players are good at it

Answer 10

Your statement about professional athletes in the Olympics is not true.  In fact professional athletes have been representing their countries since the early 80s.  

Its only been the american professional leagues that disallowed its players to participate.  Not the olympic commitee.  In fact those other "amateurs" from the other countries play for leagues in their country.  FIFA suspends its football (soccer) season during the the Olympics so its players can participate.   So does tennis as you see there are no tournaments going on right now.  If it was the winter olympics canadian hockey leagues would also be put on hold.  

Its obvious professional tennis, soccer,and hockey players also play in the olympics for their respective countries if you just look.  USA basketball just is by far the most dominant with its professional athletes.  MLB actually prohibits its players from playing, however the IOC doesn't.  If they weren't under contract with MLB they could participate in the  Olympics.

Answer 11

not really, in tennis, federer and nadal played.

the reason you think taht only amateur athelets play in olympic games is that for most of the competitions require YOUNG talents to compete.

once the athletes pass their prime (which is around 25-30 ish) they either retire or is dropped from teh team by the country so the younger and fresher ones can join and compete (just look at gymnastics, no1 is over 25).  however, for sports like basketball, swimming, tennis, and etc., they require more than talents to win.  experience is a huge factor to winning.  thus if you put in amateurs, they might be compete as well as the PROs do.