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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1951 (1951-12-10) (age 73) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American / Italian | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Dayton | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1974: 6th round, 105th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Selected by theDetroit Pistons | |||||||||||||||
Stats atBasketball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Michael Joseph "Mike" Sylvester (born December 10, 1951) is an American and Italian retiredbasketball player who is currently coach atCincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Due to theUnited States boycotting the1980 Summer Olympics, he was the only American to win a medal at those games, using a dual citizenship to play forItaly.
Sylvester was born December 10, 1951, inCincinnati,Ohio. He graduated fromMoeller High School withAll-American honors and playedcollege basketball at theUniversity of Dayton. At 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm), he was known as an accurate shooter. Sylvester's highlight with theDayton Flyers happened at the1974 NCAA championship, scoring 36 points in a game where the Flyers forced three overtimes and nearly upsetBill Walton'sUCLA.[1] Following that, Sylvester reported for both theNBA andABA Drafts, being chosen only in the sixth round by theDetroit Pistons in the1974 NBA draft, and the tenth by theCarolina Cougars in the ABA one. Afterwards,Cesare Rubini of Italian teamOlimpia Milano invited him to play for the team in the1974–75 FIBA Korać Cup. Rubini was ordered by Milano president to seek-out American basketball players of Italian descent who wished to become naturalized citizens and play for Italy. Sylvester qualified due to a grandfather being an Italian immigrant. Sylvester (known in Italy as "Silvester") would then sign with Milano, and right away be a major part of the team that won the1975–76 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup. Milano's victorious years with Sylvester would end in 1980, as after he had a heated argument with teammateC. J. Kupec, coachDan Peterson would request for Sylvester to leave the team, and he would be traded toPesaro for a then-Italian record $500,000. His Italian career also included stints withBasket Rimini andVirtus Bologna.[2][3][4]
Sylvester was naturalized Italian in 1977. Three years later, he would be called for theItaly national basketball team, and had a great performance at the European qualifier that gave the Italians a spot at theOlympic tournament to be held in Moscow. However, as soon as Sylvester heard the United States was leading the1980 Summer Olympics boycott, Sylvester wondered if he needed to adhere, particularly as an Italian player refusing an Olympic invitation could potentially banned from playing professionally. He contacted theU.S. State Department, who advised Sylvester to play. He still abstained from a vote within the Italian team about the boycott, saying he would follow the squad's decision – the Italians eventually played, though under theOlympic flag. Despite suffering a sprained ankle during the1980 Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal after the Italians upset theSoviet Union before losing the Olympic final toYugoslavia. Sylvester was the only American to win a medal at those games.[5][6] In the following years, he would spend six seasons withScavolini Pesaro, leading them to the1985 Coppa Italia, twoItalian League Runner-Up finishes (1981–82 & 1984–85), the1983 Saporta Cup title, the1986 Saporta Cup Finals and the1984 Saporta Cup Semis.
Sylvester is a current resident ofLoveland, Ohio.[7] The Sylvester family has a sports tradition. Mike's brothersSteve and Vince wereAmerican football players, with the former reaching theNFL playing for theOakland Raiders, and the latter being a college star at theUniversity of Cincinnati. Mike's son Matt was also a basketball player, playing in college forOhio State before going to Europe like his father.[8][9]
Sylvester, who had dual citizenship in Italy and the United States, also helped the Italian team to a silver medal at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow .... Born in theElder heartland, the current Loveland resident is eager to begin his tenure atCHCA.
