NBA greed may kill the Dream Team
They just put players through a grueling condensed season, which no doubt shortened a few careers, but now the money-hungry owners of the National Basketball Association don't want their players playing in the Olympics because they might get hurt.
Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, wants the N.B.A. to stage its own World Cup, without FIBA's involvement. That way, money would be more equitably shared with various national basketball federations and N.B.A. players, Cuban wrote in an e-mail. He has also grown impatient with the I.O.C., which he views as supercilious, greedy and exploitative of the league's players as Olympic programming for NBC."They are risking their futures so that the Olympics organization can maximize sponsorship and TV deals," Cuban wrote. "There is no good reason for the N.B.A. to risk our athletes so they can profit."
"No, if anyone's going to hurt players for profit, it should be us." What a dirtbag.
| Posted at 7:41 AM | Permalink |
|
Comments (11)
I've never understood why it is even allowed to send NBA players to the Olympics in the first place.
Posted by reader | July 29, 2012 9:01 AM
Reader, because other countries were sending pros to the olympics already, we were the only country who wasn't. IOC just made it official that countries could send pros so everyone could quit pretending they weren't. The original Dream Team was sent as a statement to the world about who had the best basketball players in the world. Just my opinion but I believe it's has had the effect of raising play around the world.
Cuban is being a greedy jerk, I hope he is ignored by the NBA on this.
Posted by Darrin | July 29, 2012 10:27 AM
What, you telling me the players aren't in the game for love of the sport and greed is the motivation? But we are cheer for the home team anyway.
Posted by Abe | July 29, 2012 10:30 AM
USA should only send college bball players, they'd do well. But, then again, after all, we're talking about the Corpolympics and the NBA. I couldn't care less either way.
And hey, while we're on the subject, that "opening ceremony" in London the other night looked like a really bad acid trip movie.
Posted by Mojo | July 29, 2012 10:45 AM
We should know how significant injuries are to a five-man sport - especially the key players.
What is ironic about Cuban's comments is his best player plays for Germany - so the NBA wants to dictate not only what Team Amerika (F-Yeah!) should do, but the rest of the world.
Posted by tim | July 29, 2012 10:52 AM
"our players" translation: "our slaves". These players volunteer for the opportunity to play on the Olympic team. Apparently, Cuban thinks they are persoanl property of some sort and shouldn't have that option.
Posted by Usual Kevin | July 29, 2012 11:08 AM
It would be to the NBA players' and owners' loss to opt out. Just like they lost out with their shortened season.
Maximum exposure across the globe, the Olympics be. The players and owners could surely monitize that, even with the IOC branding restrictions.
Posted by Harry | July 29, 2012 12:04 PM
Harry, shouldn't that read, 'Maximum exposure across the globe, the Olympics be. And any scurvy IOC dogs that lay their filthy mitts on our doubloons, we'll send to Davy Jones' locker.'
Posted by Cary | July 29, 2012 12:23 PM
Aaargh, it's not Talk Like a Pirate Day, is it?
Posted by Jack Bog | July 29, 2012 12:27 PM
Hmmm..... what would, on such a day as that, Yoda sound like? I can only wonder...
Posted by Harry | July 29, 2012 1:21 PM
I thought the plan is to make basketball like Soccer, under 23 year old teams.
Seems like a good idea, kind of boing watching the same NBA stars from the US playing the same stars from Spain and Argentna every 4 years with maybe France or Serbia sneaking into the medals
Posted by Eric k | July 30, 2012 12:54 PM