Re: Olympic team

[Kim <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Not really when they made the change (1988 or 1989), although that would certainly be an entirely valid point if the change was being considered now. The justification that was used more at the time was the same as Kestas - "everyone else is doing it".

There was no real talk of any need to bring in our pros until after the loss, and certainly no push to do so. The change allowing NBA players was made only a few months after the loss. Tough IMO to consider that coincidence in context. And I've got to admit that my second thought was to wonder what they were going to do to get over it when our pros finally lost, as will eventually happen.

While college students leaving early was no where near the given (or IMO - problem) then that it is now. There weren't as many players leaving *as* early, and the mantra was that our college players were still better than the rest of the worlds' pros. Until they weren't, or rather John Thomson made them look that way through a lot of stubborn tunnel vision about how he selected and used the available talent. Don't forget - the original Dream Team was only a year after Kenny Anderson was drafted as a sophmore and that was genuinely considered shocking back then. Just tough to remember how different it was not THAT long ago in the changed culture of today.

Kim

-----Original Message-----
From: Alden Brosseau <alden@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Feb 5, 2004 3:55 PM
To: Celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Olympic team

<While the only reason we switched over to bringing in pros in hoops was a
snit because our college players got beaten, even <though the reason for
that had more to do with bad coaching/team construction than amateur vs pro.
Until then, it was <actually a matter of pride that we were still sending
true amateurs in hoops and winning even though others sent pros.

Wasn't it more that, with the best college players leaving early for the
NBA, we really could no longer be competitive if we relied on those who
stayed in college?