OT: Best Men's Basketball Player Never to Play on the US Olympic Team is....?

[LwrcasefaN]

BTW...I have no opinion....or better described...a clue.

 

[Sonny44]

Alfred E. Newman?

 

[ClifSpliffy]

this is a very good question. i'll hang up and wait, hopefully, for the answers as i, too, have no clue.

 

[UcMiami]

It is hard to say because of lot of pros have probably never asked to play/been available. And the amateur days are so long ago.

 

[triaddukefan]

Wardell Curry Jr.

 

[Rich]

You talking about before or after the pros were allowed?

 

[Aluminny69]

Larry Bird was on the Dream Team, but I think he was injured and didn't actually play. I could be wrong, though.

 

[Aluminny69]

Did Pete Maravitch play in the Olympics?

 

[LwrcasefaN]

You talking about before or after the pros were allowed?

Either works.

 

[Aluminny69]

Here are some choices. Isiah Thomas is listed #1.

Ranking the best modern NBA players who never played in the Olympics​

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Did Pete Maravitch play in the Olympics?

1. Pete Maravich is the NCAA all-time leading scorer, having put in 3,667 points, an average of 44.2 points per game.
   He was a consensus First-Team All-American selection and SEC Player of the Year in all three of his varsity years at LSU.
   The 6'5" guard was named the United States Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year in both 1969 and 1970.
   Strangely, after breaking a collegiate scoring record, "Pistol Pete" was not selected (and not even named as an alternate) for the 1968 USA Men's Olympic basketball team.

 

[Aluminny69]

Before the Dream Team, there were quite a few Greats who never played in the Olympics, led by Lew Alcindor and Wilt Chamberlain.
(I brlieve it was Einstein who said, the next best thing to knowing something, is knowing where to find it.)

In terms of his playing on the USA Olympic team, Alcindor decided to not take part in the 1968 tryouts.

The Nevada Daily Mail reported on March 27, 1968:

Alcindor said he wanted to concentrate on studies but admitted the move was an implicit backing of the Negro boycott of the international competition.

Top 10 College Basketball Players Who Never Played for Team USA in the Olympics​

 

[JordyG]

Wilt Chamberlain. Frankly, when any question about the Association and past players comes up my answer is usually Wilt. As in, who was the best player you ever saw, who was the most athletic, who holds some of the oldest records, who was the strongest player you ever saw etc.

 

[uconnfan68]

Barkley didn’t make the cut either… as a collegian… despite being the best rebounder in the trials. Bobby Knight knew better, I guess.

 

[Centerstream]

Gee, maybe if I followed MEN'S BB anymore, I would have a clue.

 

[Adesmar123]

It was Bill Brasky! Bill once scored 200 points in one quarter. He had MJ asking for mercy and out trash talked Larry Bird! He took on The Dream Team by himself and made them cry. He did all that while recovering from ACL surgery on both knees.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Barkley didn’t make the cut either… as a collegian… despite being the best rebounder in the trials. Bobby Knight knew better, I guess.

Barkley played on the Dream Team. And destroyed some poor player with a monster dunk.

 

[Golden Husky]

Wilt Chamberlain. Frankly, when any question about the Association and past players comes up my answer is usually Wilt. As in, who was the best player you ever saw, who was the most athletic, who holds some of the oldest records, who was the strongest player you ever saw etc.

I met Chamberlain, shook his hand. Mine disappeared.

 

[JordyG]

I met Chamberlain, shook his hand. Mine disappeared.

Me too. I'm still looking for mine.

 

[Aluminny69]

I was at a Celtic-Lakers game. As the ball was going out of bounds, Wilt grabbed it out of the air with one hand! It was going away from him. Sounds impossible, but I saw it, and still didn't believe it. It's even impossible to describe.

 

[Purduke]

I met Chamberlain, shook his hand. Mine disappeared.

Never shook Wilt's hand, but I once met Bill Walton in the DFW mens' room. He stood at the urinal next to mine -- I tinkled and, as you would say, he disappeared into his. But as much as I respect Walton, I'd have to agree Wilt was the best non-Olympian.

 

[oldude]

Larry Bird was on the Dream Team, but I think he was injured and didn't actually play. I could be wrong, though.

Bird had a bad back. But he did play on the Dream Team. When he was not in the games he would lay on the floor at the end of the bench to take pressure off his back.

 

[Jibariqua]

Isiah Thomas was on the 1980 team but the USA didn’t participate.
Kawhi Leonard & Chef Curry.

 

[pacific 44]

I remember once when the refs were looking everywhere for the ball and Wilt just stood there with the fingers on one hand kinda curled up a little bit. Same thing happened to the ball that happened to Golden huskies hand. To this day neither have ever been found i guess.

 

[Longtime fan]

Either works.

It could be me. But I doubt it.