David Stern Says Olympic Age Limit Decision is Not Urgent

There’s no rush when it comes to David Stern’s proposal to implement an age restriction of 23-and-younger for pros joining the US Olympic hoops team — one that has been highly-criticized and widely panned — according to the commish. Per USA Today: “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 said. ‘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?’ He said he is not influenced by Los Angeles Lakers guard and Olympian Kobe Bryant’s recent comment that going to a 23-and-under format for Olympic men’s basketball would be ‘stupid.’ ‘This is not an urgent issue,’ said Stern, the NBA’s commissioner since 1984. ‘This is just an opportunity to have an intelligent conversation with our friends at FIBA (international basketball’s governing body).'”