Chris Calle (American, B. 1961) "Olympic Centennial Games - Basketball" Signed lower right. Mixed Media on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the 32? Basketball Classic Collection Series stamp issued May 2, 1996. Basketball is considered the only sport strictly of United States origin, and made its Olympic debut in 1936. Over the years, basketball -- both the game and its players -- has gained international popularity. Today, fans around the world follow the scores of American college and professional teams, as well as those of teams from their own country. Generally considered the most athletically-demanding of all sports, requiring a combination of strength, speed, coordination and endurance, basketball continues to grow as an international and an Olympic sport. In the 1992 Games at Barcelona, the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team averaged over 117 points a game with an average winning margin of 44 points! The American players were so overwhelming that competitors considered it an honor to play against and lose to them. Image Size: 14.25 x 10.25 in. Overall Size: 23 x 14.75 in. Unframed. (B15482)