Pride and Basketball

I’ve got an issue with NBA players choosing not to represent their country in international competition.  This topic is near and dear to me for many reasons.  I’m American, born and raised, and very proud of it.  I’ve lived overseas and traveled extensively and the chance to represent your country on a world-wide stage should trump EVERYTHING.  Fear of injury, fatigue, contract issues and all the other excuses basketball players from many nations come up with are all bullshit.   

Basketball is the only sport that I’m aware of in which player’s A. opt out of the possibility to represent their country and B. if they do so, have the opportunity to pick and choose the tournaments or international competitions they want to compete in.  I don't want to hear the excuses: you’re tired, both mentally and physically?  So you’re telling us you’re not going to be training while you are not with the USA team?  I don’t buy it.  You’re scared of the possibility of getting injured?  Horse honkey, every athlete realizes that an injury could occur anywhere at any time.  Every player who isn’t training with team USA is playing pick-up and training somewhere else everyday anyway.  You’re in the middle of contract negotiations?  Sorry that the millions you have already made and the millions more weigh more heavily than representing your country for a month.  That must be rough.  I have no sympathy for a millionaire who stands to lose very little if any at all because they are afraid of getting hurt or hurting their “stock” by playing for their country.  In fact, it sickens me.  Have some pride.

  

While I can appreciate Mark Cuban, Greg Popovich and other owners/coaches/franchises wanting to protect their assets, telling a player they are not allowed to play internationally should be a crime.  Pop may be the greatest coach of this era but his propensity to tell his players they can't play for their country really grinds my gears.  This is the Red, White and Blue on your jersey with a big USA on your chest.  This is a chance to play for everything we stand for… to demonstrate what it means to be free and make not only a living, but a damn good one by playing a sport.   

I agree with Cuban in the aspect that international basketball should be better organized and that there should be financial considerations in place for players, owners and the NBA.  The system is not perfect, nor is it popular, especially in the United States.  The only international competition we tend to pay attention to is the Olympics (props to the IOC for creating that while simultaneously destroying all other international competitions).

SI's Phil Taylor, Grantlands' Bill Simmons and Former NBA player Jalen Rose all agree with me.  NBA players play, it's what they love to do.  So why not play for your country?