View source for Mike Sylvester

{{Short description|American basketball player}}
{{for-multi|the Irish rugby union player|Michael Silvester|the Maine politician|Michael Sylvester (politician)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name            = Mike Sylvester
| image           = Romeo Sacchetti.jpg
| birth_date      = {{birth-date and age|December 10, 1951}}
| birth_place     = [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], U.S.
| nationality     = American / Italian
| height_ft       = 6
| height_in       = 5
| weight_lb       = 
| high_school     = [[Moeller High School|Moeller]] ([[Cincinnati, Ohio]])
| college         = [[Dayton Flyers men's basketball|Dayton]]
| draft_year      = 1974
| draft_round     = 6
| draft_pick      = 105
| draft_team      = [[Detroit Pistons]]
| draft_league    = NBA
| career_start    = 
| career_end      = 
| career_position = 
| career_number   = 
| years1          = 
| team1           = 
| highlights      = 
| stat1label      = 
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| bbr             = 
| bbr_wnba        = 
| nbanew          = 
| wnba_profile    = 
| HOF_player      = 
| womensHOF       = 
| FIBA_HOF_player = 
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport|Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{ITA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Moscow]]|[[Basketball at the 1980 Summer Olympics|Team]]}}
}}

'''Michael Joseph "Mike" Sylvester''' (born December 10, 1951) is an American and Italian retired [[basketball]] player who is currently coach at [[Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy]]. Due to the [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|United States boycotting]] the [[1980 Summer Olympics]], he was the only American to win a medal at those games, using a dual citizenship to play for [[Italy national basketball team|Italy]].

==Biography==
Sylvester was born December 10, 1951, in [[Cincinnati]], [[Ohio]]. He graduated from [[Moeller High School]] with [[All-America]]n honors and played [[college basketball]] at the [[University of Dayton]]. At {{convert|6|ft|5|in|cm}}, he was known as an accurate shooter. Sylvester's highlight with the [[Dayton Flyers men's basketball|Dayton Flyers]] happened at the [[1974 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1974 NCAA championship]], scoring 36 points in a game where the Flyers forced three overtimes and nearly upset [[Bill Walton]]'s [[UCLA Bruins men's basketball|UCLA]].<ref>[http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031474aac.html Born to Play - Matt Sylvester's Roots Planted on the Court]</ref> Following that, Sylvester reported for both the [[NBA draft|NBA]] and [[American Basketball Association|ABA Drafts]], being chosen only in the sixth round by the [[Detroit Pistons]] in the [[1974 NBA draft]], and the tenth by the [[Carolina Cougars]] in the ABA one. Afterwards, [[Cesare Rubini]] of Italian team [[Olimpia Milano]] invited him to play for the team in the [[1974–75 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 the [[1975–76 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup]]. Milano's victorious years with Sylvester would end in 1980, as after he had a heated argument with teammate [[C. J. Kupec]], coach [[Dan Peterson]] would request for Sylvester to leave the team, and he would be traded to [[Victoria Libertas Pesaro|Pesaro]] for a then-Italian record $500,000. His Italian career also included stints with [[Basket Rimini]] and [[Virtus Bologna]].<ref name="Mike">[http://195.56.77.208/player/?id=SIL-MIK Mike Silvester] {{in lang|it}}</ref><ref>[http://www.baskettiamo.com/baskettiamo/archives/1935/italia-sempre-nel-cuore-di-mike-sylvester/ Italy Always In the Heart of Mike Sylvester] {{in lang|it}}</ref><ref>[http://www.museodelbasket-milano.it/leggi.php?idcontenuti=222 Sylvester Michael Joseph] {{in lang|it}}</ref>

Sylvester was naturalized Italian in 1977. Three years later, he would be called for the [[Italy national basketball team]], and had a great performance at the European qualifier that gave the Italians a spot at the [[Basketball at the 1980 Summer Olympics|Olympic tournament]] to be held in Moscow. However, as soon as Sylvester heard the United States was leading the [[1980 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 the [[U.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 the [[Olympic flag]]. Despite suffering a sprained ankle during the [[1980 Summer Olympics]], he won a silver medal after the Italians upset the [[Soviet Union national basketball team|Soviet Union]] before losing the Olympic final to [[Yugoslavia national basketball team|Yugoslavia]]. Sylvester was the only American to win a medal at those games.<ref>[http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/07/11/spt_sptoly1ab.html Moeller grad was only American to medal in '80 ]</ref><ref>Sarantakes, Nicholas Evan (2010). ''Dropping the Torch: Jimmy Carter, the Olympic Boycott, and the Cold War''. New York: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|1139788566}}. p. 133.</ref> In the following years, he would spend six seasons with [[U.S. Victoria Libertas Pallacanestro|Scavolini Pesaro]], leading them to the [[Italian Basketball Cup|1985 Coppa Italia]], two [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian League]] Runner-Up finishes (1981–82 & 1984–85), the [[FIBA Saporta Cup|1983 Saporta Cup title]], the [[FIBA Saporta Cup|1986 Saporta Cup Finals]] and the [[FIBA Saporta Cup|1984 Saporta Cup Semis]].

Sylvester is a current resident of [[Loveland, Ohio]].<ref name="Herald Meale">{{cite news|title=CHCA lands former pro, Olympian|first=Tony|last=Meale|work=The Loveland Herald|publisher=The Community Press|date=July 1, 2009|accessdate=July 2, 2009|url=http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20090701/SPT01/907010359/|quote=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 the [[Elder High School|Elder]] heartland, the current Loveland resident is eager to begin his tenure at [[Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy|CHCA]].}}</ref> The Sylvester family has a sports tradition. Mike's brothers [[Steve Sylvester (American football)|Steve]] and Vince were [[American football]] players, with the former reaching the [[National Football League|NFL]] playing for the [[Oakland Raiders]], and the latter being a college star at the [[University of Cincinnati]]. Mike's son Matt was also a basketball player, playing in college for [[Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball|Ohio State]] before going to Europe like his father.<ref>[http://enquirer.com/editions/2000/12/01/spt_moeller_star_upholds.html Moeller star upholds family tradition]</ref><ref>[http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-basketball/2015/03/50875/how-one-shot-10-years-ago-changed-everything-for-the-ohio-state-program  How One Shot 10 Years Ago Changed Everything for Ohio State Basketball ]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071123074354/http://daytonflyers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/sylvester_mike00.html Dayton Flyers Profile]
* [http://www.moeller.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1492 Archbishop Moeller High School Profile]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* {{FIBA|new_id=105865|name=Michael Joseph Sylvester|old_id=6108}}
* {{CONI profile|new_id=907|name=Michael Sylvester|old_id=497}}
* {{Olympics.com|michael-sylvester|Michael Sylvester}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{Footer 1980 Olympic Silver Medalists Basketball Men}}
{{Olimpia Milano 1975–76 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup champions}}
{{Victoria Libertas Pesaro 1982–83 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sylvester, Michael}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian sportsmen]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Basketball players at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Cincinnati]]
[[Category:Basket Rimini Crabs players]]
[[Category:Carolina Cougars draft picks]]
[[Category:Dayton Flyers men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Detroit Pistons draft picks]]
[[Category:High school basketball coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:Italian men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Italian people of American descent]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Moeller High School alumni]]
[[Category:Olimpia Milano players]]
[[Category:Olympic basketball players for Italy]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in basketball]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Italy]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Loveland, Ohio]]
[[Category:Victoria Libertas Pallacanestro players]]
[[Category:Virtus Bologna players]]