Age Limit for USA Basketball Not Imminent
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Thursday that the sooner he knows the age rule for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the better.
NBA Commissioner David Stern, on the other hand, is in no hurry to reach a conclusion on whether this will be the last Olympics for NBA players of all ages or whether men’s players 23-and-under will compete in future Olympics.
“Nothing is definitive,” Stern told USA TODAY Sports by phone Thursday. “All we’re talking about is the issue, having taken stock 20 years after Barcelona. What is the best way to continue the growth of the game on a global basis?”
A record 38 NBA players and 16 former NBA players are scheduled to play in the 12-team event, which begins Sunday. The USA opens defense of its 2008 gold against France at 9:30 a.m. ET.
“We may be at the height of it,” Stern said. “When you are televising your games in more countries and territories than there are (United Nations) members, you’re beginning to push the upper limits, No. 1. No. 2, the Beijing Olympics probably was the apex, with that U.S.-China game the most watched basketball game in history.”
In a short time, Stern says, basketball has become one of the most popular Olympic sports. “To me, clearly basketball is one of the three legs of the Olympics stool,” he said. “Probably the other ones are (swimming) and athletics. That’s the legacy. The world understands that basketball competition comes from so many countries, and it’s at the top of the Olympic ladder.
Loading ...
