Michael "Mike" Joseph 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 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. Biography Sylvester was born December 10, 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from Moeller High School with All-American honors and played college basketball at the University of Dayton. At , he was known as an accurate shooter. Sylvester's highlight with the Dayton Flyers happened at the 1974 NCAA championship, scoring 36 points in a game where the Flyers forced three overtimes and nearly upset Bill Walton's UCLA. Following that, Sylvester reported for both the NBA and 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 Pesaro for a then-Italian record $500,000. His Italian career also included stints with Basket Rimini and Virtus Bologna. 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 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