Saturday, Sept. 21, will go down in history as a significant day in the annals of Olympic competition.

As the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, approach, this Saturday’s announcement of the roster of the United States men’s basketball team will mark the first time that our country has fielded professional teams for competition at this level.

The United States Olympic Committee again has the luxury of handpicking the best and the brightest from a very talented basketball field. The difference this year is that the majority of these athletes will have professional experience. (Two of the 12 spots may be filled by amateurs.)

Fans have squawked for many years that the United States has been at a decided disadvantage in the Olympics because other countries, most notably the Soviet Union, have competed successfully against our amateur, college players with their paid professionals.

Admittedly, the U.S. men’s basketball of the 1992 games will be loaded with big-name players. To date, eight National Basketball Association superstars have informed the selection committee of their desire to accept invitations to play.

Players such as Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Chris Mullen and Scottie Pippen have shown enthusiasm from the outset in discussing international play.

Two others of considerable note, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, have hedged on the issue of joining the squad. Jordan, under more pressure to play than the other nine pros combined, likely will join the team. Bird’s status clearly depends on his health.

Let’s face it. A healthy Bird would be a tremendous asset to our chances for gold in Barcelona. Unhealthy, he would only take up a spot that could go to a more deserving player.

Here’s the rub.

Have we reached the point in our efforts to compete internationally that it is necessary to send a team of professionals abroad? What, in fact, do we have to prove? Does anyone doubt that our country can field the most superior basketball team in the world?

These questions, as significant as they are, fall woefuly short in merit in terms of the primary reason that we’ll see the NBA all-star team wearing red, white and blue next summer. The key word here is endorsements. That’s right — money.

Consider this. According to Forbes magazine, Michael Jordan and Magic Jordan are two of the world’s richest athletes. Jordan brings in $13.2 million each year. Johnson pulls in a cool $3 million a year on product endorsements alone.

Think what Olympic exposure will do for both industries and athletes. Heck, a guy like John Stockton will make more money from the 1992 Summer Games than he could in a lifetime of playing in Provo, Utah.

The overriding factor here is what the Olympics will lose without its amateur flavor. Granted, it will be fun watching the best of our best playing basketball in Spain. But the unique nature of Olympic competition will suffer with seasoned veterans as the focus of attention.

Past motivation for professional play wanes considerably in the face of the demise of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Hopefully, the same Olympic Committee that selects the likes of Jordan and Johnson will limit eligibility for future games to one or two competitions, allowing a constant rotation of players.

This would allow younger players the chance they once had before the change in the USOC’s selection policy for international competition.

Ron Brown is a free-lance writer and high school basketball coach who lives in Bangor.