Whats up guys; answer to the NBA/Olympics question. Up until 1992 ( the year of the dream team), the 🇺🇸 was sending amateur/college players to the Olympics, while other nations were sending their professionals. Many nations for years have harvested national teams for development outside of their Pro leagues, and the switch brought the US up to a similar level. Also its HUGE for marketing, as NBA players are among the most recognized world athletes.