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View Full Version : NBA Players in International Competitions


jamesglewisf
02-09-2004, 08:54 AM
What do you think of the flap between Mark Cuban and Larry Brown. Brown is the coach of the US Olympic team, and he is mad that Cuban and others frown on NBA players playing in international competition. He thinks it is a good for the league. Cuban thinks it risks his multi-million dollar players' health and stamina.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/basketball/nba/02/08/bc.oly.dreamteam.critic.ap/DALLAS (AP) -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Sunday that Detroit Pistons and U.S. Olympic basketball coach Larry Brown wasn't qualified to criticize the stance Cuban and other owners have taken against international play by their athletes.

"This is a topic that's easy for Larry to comment on," Cuban said in an e-mail to The Dallas Morning News. "He has never had to write the check for an NBA payroll in his life."

Brown said in an interview with the newspaper during the Pistons' trip to Dallas on Saturday that he finds it disingenuous that Cuban and other owners question if it is in the best interest of their teams to allow their players to compete in the Olympics.

He believes the presence of NBA players on the 1992 Dream Team helped develop many of the foreign players now in the NBA.

"If the Dream Team didn't go, maybe he wouldn't have half his players," Brown said of Cuban. "Maybe these kids would be playing soccer or something else. That makes me sick."I probably agree with Cuban, and not just because I'm from Dallas. I'd prefer to see college players in the Olympics.

theyeti
02-09-2004, 09:17 AM
Hmmm, another interesting topic. I'd like to see all college players in the Olympics too but that would have to be in ALL sports, not just basketball. Especially in basketball where the US in so dominant, you don't need the top guys. But then again, if you don't send your top guys to the top competition, what's the point?

Maybe they should pick one - the FIBA Championships or the Olympics, send your "Dream Team" to one and college guys to the other. That'll benefit the NBA too since it'll give the next draft picks that extra level of experience before their rookie season.

Overall though, I like international competition.

Alec
02-13-2004, 08:56 AM
The NBA is a business. If the owners don't want the players playing off-season, then they shouldn't.

How far should it go though? Should they be allowed to play pick-up basketball in the local gym? Should they be allowed to go snow skiing? Should they be allowed to race cars or whatever?

Grimey
02-18-2004, 05:48 PM
I don't think the NBA players are slaves. They ought to be able to do whatever they want unless their contract prohibits it.