The development of professional sport

• players remained semi-professional for a long time until their payments became more than their full-time wages
• E.g.

  • the dream team of 1992 influenced the development of basketball globally
  • prior, basketball was amateur
  • as nations saw the achievements of this team, basketball transitioned to become professional in order to train athletes that have the potential to reach the standards of the team
• olympic movement resisted professionalism for a long time

  • US applied lots of pressure
  • changing attitudes of the world
• professionalism has generally improved the standard of sport everywhere
• annual payments of hundreds of thousands of dollars became popular in the 1980's