re: New age limit for 2016 olympic basketball

This is how Olympic men's soccer works except with an allowance of three overage players in each roster. It started as a compromise between FIFA and the IOC to insure that the World Cup remained the best international competition every four years. It also extended when professional clubs complained about losing their best young players during the first weeks of the season, in addition to the possibility of fatigue and injury. This is essentially the NBA's argument in this matter. Playing for Argentina worsened Manu Ginobili's persistant injuries.

It still makes Olympic soccer entertaining, because some of the best players in the world are under 23. Messi's current peak began when he won the gold medal with Argentina in 2008.

Olympic basketball would remain competitive with the American team remaining the overwhelming favorites. It might actually make it into a less imbalanced tournament. I love seeing the US win, but it'd be nice to see an actual competitive game featuring them every once in awhile. (Athens 2004 and 2006 World Championships debacles notwithstanding.)