Continuing with my opinion that the 1984 USA Olympic men’s basketball team was the best all amateur USA team ever to “squeak the sneeks” on any Olympic basketball court….here is a breakdown of the centers on this USA team as follows:
Patrick Aloysius Ewing, Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player….who won Olympic gold medals as a member of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and 1992 Barcelona Olympics basketball teams. He played most of his NBA career with the New York Knicks as their starting center….playing briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. Ewing played center for the Georgetown Hoyas for four years….and was named as the 16th greatest college player of all time by ESPN. In a 1996 poll celebrating the 50th anniversary of the NBA, Ewing was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He is a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts (in 2008 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the 1992 Olympic team). In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame as a member of the “Dream Team”. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on September 5, 2008 along with former NBA coach Pat Riley and former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon. His number 33 was retired by the Knicks in 2003….as he is currently the associate head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, working under Steve Clifford.
Jon Francis Koncak is a former American professional basketball player……who won a gold medal as a member of the 1984 USA Olympic men’s basketball team ….who as a 7’0″ center from Southern Methodist University….was selected with the 5th pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks…..spending ten seasons with the Hawks (1985–1995)….mainly in a reserve role….then concluded his career with the Orlando Magic. He retired in 1996 with career totals of 3,520 points and 3,856 rebounds.
Now, how’s that for your starting center….Patrick Ewing….and your back-up Jon Koncak….both 7 foot tall….and agile…mobile….and hostile.
