If the USA went U-23

[Rocketeer]

Originally Posted by david_rocket Pau and Marc Gasol are over 23, so they wouldnt qualify to play in the Olympics.

I don't think he meant that it was a requirement for ALL basketball teams to be U23, only team USA would make that a requirement.

[Air Langhi]

The US would lose. Argentina and Spain would be better. Scola or Gasols would destroy the US front court.

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by A_3PO Thanks for the link. FIBA will never change basketball in the Olympics to a U-23 competition. That would weaken the product and make the U.S. an even stronger favorite...

Do the soccer countries care that soccer is U-23 for men?

[napalm_black]

Originally Posted by jvu Minus well send the thunder to the olympics. C ibaka F (Anthony Davis) F Durant G harden G westbrook Everyone else

Basically true... the Thunder would beat any country's U-23 team.

Also I wonder if you really meant to type "minus well"?

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by napalm_black Basically true... the Thunder would beat any country's U-23 team. Also I wonder if you really meant to type "minus well"?

I assume he meant to type "might as well".

[blunto]

Originally Posted by A_3PO Thanks for the link. FIBA will never change basketball in the Olympics to a U-23 competition. That would weaken the product and make the U.S. an even stronger favorite. Of course, the NBA could set fire to the bridge Stern has been building with FIBA the last 10-15 years and unilaterally ban all NBA players under contract who are older than 23. I guess we are too far away from a decision that would affect the 2020 Olympics. IMO, nothing will change. I don't blame Stern for floating his balloon in the air to gauge reaction, but it was shot down pretty fast. I love the idea of a World Cup for basketball every 4 years if they can make it work.

Yeah, I also agree that the NBA would get too much push back from FIBA and the international community assuming the "ban" would apply to all NBA players over the age of 23. London games would be void of the Gasol brothers, Tony Parker, Scola and Manu, etc. Can't see that going over well.

Sure, Yao theoretically may have been able to squeeze out a few more years in the NBA if he avoided international competition, but would the Chinese govt. even allowed him to come to Houston in 2002 if they knew he'd be banned from playing in Beijing six years later? (I think China had already been granted the summer games by then).

Originally Posted by SamFisher's NYTimes link Two decades ago, the N.B.A. was viewed in 88 countries. Now it is 217 nations and territories. On opening day of the 1991-92 season, N.B.A. rosters featured 23 international players from 18 countries. As last season began, it was 74 players from 35 countries.

[freeze00up]

Originally Posted by A_3PO Thanks for the link. FIBA will never change basketball in the Olympics to a U-23 competition. That would weaken the product and make the U.S. an even stronger favorite. Of course, the NBA could set fire to the bridge Stern has been building with FIBA the last 10-15 years and unilaterally ban all NBA players under contract who are older than 23. I guess we are too far away from a decision that would affect the 2020 Olympics. IMO, nothing will change. I don't blame Stern for floating his balloon in the air to gauge reaction, but it was shot down pretty fast. I love the idea of a World Cup for basketball every 4 years if they can make it work.

There is already a "World Cup" for basketball held every 4 years held by FIBA (USA won it the last time with Durant leading the team). One of the arguments for the U-23 Olympics is that it would give this championship more importance and such it could grow on its own just like FIFA did with the Football World Cup. Honestly this would be a good long term move for FIBA and possible one of Stern's better moves.

[QdoubleA]

Originally Posted by freeze00up There is already a "World Cup" for basketball held every 4 years held by FIBA (USA won it the last time with Durant leading the team). One of the arguments for the U-23 Olympics is that it would give this championship more importance and such it could grow on its own just like FIFA did with the Football World Cup. Honestly this would be a good long term move for FIBA and possible one of Stern's better moves.

How could this possibly be one of Sterns better moves given all that you've already read in this thread?

[SamFisher]

Originally Posted by freeze00up There is already a "World Cup" for basketball held every 4 years held by FIBA (USA won it the last time with Durant leading the team). One of the arguments for the U-23 Olympics is that it would give this championship more importance and such it could grow on its own just like FIFA did with the Football World Cup. Honestly this would be a good long term move for FIBA and possible one of Stern's better moves.

It would be great for bureaucrats at FIBA because they could then pocket the loot for their own personal use rather than having to split it up with their IOC fellow-vampires.

FIFA's got it figured out. No need to cut the IOC a check when you can have alll the Five-star hotel rooms and cushy dinners for yourself.

[STR8Thugg]

Originally Posted by CCorn I think Spain would dominate this team. Pau and Marc would have some fun in the paint. Also No way Parsons makes the team over Paul George.

Crazy. Spain would be obliterated by that team.

[blunto]

For what it's worth, here's an excerpt from a 1992 interview with David Stern addressing some of the public backlash about allowing NBA players to compete in the Olympics for the first time:

Originally Posted by NBA TV's "The Dream Team" Documentary Interviewer: This team of all-stars is almost… too good. Some think we should go back to the collegiate, they make it look too easy. Stern: I think then we ought to ban the African runners from the ten thousand meters because they make it look so easy as well. This is about our best, and it’s wonderful for the sport of basketball.

All of that said, I really wouldn't mind a U-23 Olympics if the recently renamed FIBA World Cup of Basketball were to get some credence as THE international tournament which crowned a true world champion. Every other two-year interval we'd have a different style of international competition, and it would share the spotlight with up and coming talent instead of continuing to oversaturate the airwaves with a select few stars.

However, I'm skeptical of how the international community will respond, seeing as what's being proposed is the first time in which the NBA instituted a ban on it's players while FIBA did not.

[CCorn]

Originally Posted by david_rocket Pau and Marc Gasol are over 23, so they wouldnt qualify to play in the Olympics.

I think that only means USA would go U-23. Or would this apply to all NBA players?

[A_3PO]

Originally Posted by bobrek Do the soccer countries care that soccer is U-23 for men?

Let's not compare basketball to soccer.

If Olympic basketball changed to U-23, there would be a huge drop in interest globally.

Granted, if the proposed World Cup for basketball became the greatest thing since sliced bread, the drop in interest in Olympic basketball wouldn't be as big a deal for many of us.

[blunto]

Originally Posted by CCorn I think that only means USA would go U-23. Or would this apply to all NBA players?

Everything I've read on this topic leads me to believe that it would be all NBA players.

Team owners, having invested hundreds of millions of dollars, worry that their star players will become fatigued and injured. The 12 United States players here are perhaps less of a concern than the 26 global N.B.A. players, who often face enormous nationalistic pressures to represent their countries at the Olympics and in continental tournaments, even when hurt.

[rn_xw]

In 2016,
PG: 2015 first pick
SG: 2014 second pick
SF: 2015 third pick
PF: 2013 first pick
C: 2014 8th pick
Bench:
Morey's second round picks in 2013, 14, and 15.

[sime0n]

Originally Posted by A_3PO Let's not compare basketball to soccer. If Olympic basketball changed to U-23, there would be a huge drop in interest globally. Granted, if the proposed World Cup for basketball became the greatest thing since sliced bread, the drop in interest in Olympic basketball wouldn't be as big a deal for many of us.

This is exactly why they are considering this move. Soccer lost alot of interest when it switched to this model to funnel all the interest towards their world cup.

I think it is eventual that this happens. FIBA basically wants to copy FIFA's model and I think it'll be good for everyone except the IOC. The IOC already has swimming, track and all those other olympic sports anyway. I think if basketball were switched to u-23 for the olympics, then other sports would just be featured more prominently.

[T-Yao]

derrick rose is still 23 till october..

[DonatasFanboy]

Originally Posted by mikeyharris There's been talks of the USA going with a U-23 team for the olympics in the future. I thought it'd be interesting to see who y'all think would be on the team this year if we went U-23. (Don't worry about injuries) Here's mine: C: Demarcus Cousins/Greg Monroe/Anthony Davis PF: Blake Griffin/Kevin Love SF: Kevin Durant/Chandler Parsons SG: James Harden/Evan Turner PG: Russell Westbrook/John Wall/Kyrie Irving The Thunder Big 3 starts, Griffin-Love hold down the 4, young PGs of Wall and Irving back up, maybe I'm biased for putting Parsons but he's the best young wing defender I could think of to come off the bench.

keep in mind, "U23" in typical definition = players who became/will become 23 in that calendar year.
So no Love, Durant, Westbrook, Parsons, maybe someone else on that list (won't double check everyone).

[DonatasFanboy]

no Derrick Rose too.

[fogo18182028]

Who the hell want to see rookies playing in the olympic. This will surely disappoint many international fans. The US is winning it regardless of U23 so why not just send the most popular players there to put on a show.