The Dream may be over soon for the NBA-Olympic partnership

[boutons_deux]

This might be it for the Dream Team concept in the Olympics.

The NBA Finals were 45 minutes from tip-off last month when the league commissioner said it himself — cognizant that NBA owners fretted every four years about players being injured with the extra month of activity . . . that the players themselves began to question whether they should be paid to play for Team USA . . . and, finally, that the NBA wasn't making an abundance of money by lending its assets to the national cause of thumping (take your pick) Angola, Tunisia, etc.

In other words, enjoy the London Olympics. Who knows if such a collection of basketball players will ever suit up for the Games again?

"I think we got a lot out of the Olympics," Stern said ominously last month. "We helped grow the game. The result has been extraordinary. But I think it's appropriate to step back and take stock of where we're going."

Then he did something completely wild. He sided with longtime sparring partner Mark Cuban, a sign that a basketball apocalypse was beginning . . . and NBA participation in the Olympics could be ending.

Cuban, after all, had said the league's quadrennial gift to the Olympics was "the biggest mistake the NBA makes."

"If you look up 'stupid' in the dictionary, you see a picture of the USA Dream Team playing for free for corporate America so the U.S. Olympic Committee can make billions of dollars," Cuban told reporters in April. "And it has nothing to do with patriotism and it's all about money. You don't see the [International] Olympic Committeein Switzerland saying, 'Oh, we made so much money, let's give it to people.' How many jets do they have?"

http://mobile.latimes.com/p.p?m=b&a=rp&id=2385427&postId=2385427&postUserId=7&sessionToken=&catId=6219&curAbsIndex=0&resultsUrl=DID%3D6%26DFCL%3D1000%26DSB%3Drank%2523 desc%26DBFQ%3DuserId%253A7%26DL.w%3D%26DL.d%3D10%2 6DQ%3DsectionId%253A6219%26DPS%3D0%26DPL%3D3

[weebo]

....but, but, they're saving US basketballl...

[ElNono]

tbqh, the IOC will make it's gazillion dollars regardless of NBA players showing up or not...

Cuban/the NBA really has no leverage there... and frankly, they get to promote NBA players on a competition that's barely a month long...

[Slomo]

tbqh, the IOC will make it's gazillion dollars regardless of NBA players showing up or not...

Cuban/the NBA really has no leverage there...

From what I remember 90% of those gazillions are redistributed to finance sport programs all over the world. Now I'm sure there's a few luxuries in the IOC that could be trimmed (and not just a bit), but let's not pretend it's a private for profit org like the NBA is.

Cuban is just pissed he's not getting his share.

[jag]

Thanks for the article, boutons.

boutons has consistently been one of the worst posters on this site for years now. I'm not sure how he manages to stay so low key.

[baseline bum]

Cuban's been pretty dead on since he quit his bitching about the officiating.

[Venti Quattro]

To be honest, a large part of why the Olympics is watchable is because of the NBA.

[baseline bum]

The Olympics is unwatchable; I can't stand all the garbage stories NBC always runs.

[Josepatches_]

These aren't the mid 80s or the 70s.Basketball grew around the world in the last 20 years. National teams are much better. To win the Olympics with college players is not realistic anymore.

But USA is not the only national team with NBA players. Spain had 6 NBA players last year while only one guy from Spain played in the NBA before 2001. The problem is not only USA basketball or US Olympic Committee


In the Olympic Games they could change the rules so only players under 23 could play like it happens with the soccer tournament although it would decrease the interest

What happens with Europe Tournaments,FIBA Americas or FIBA World Championships??


Dream teams (if they are really Dream Teams yet) aren't going to end

[whitemamba]

are we going to expect to see a bunch of white college players rocking the red white and blue? i dont get it.. i really dont think money is it, these niggas make so much

[Stalin]

who give a shit, usa is as dominant as soviet russia was in WWII, all american monkeyballers have to do is show up, and they'll win gold unless a fluke happens, ex. last year's mavs fluke championship, tbh

[whitemamba]

who give a shit, usa is as dominant as soviet russia was in WWII, all american monkeyballers have to do is show up, and they'll win gold unless a fluke happens, ex. last year's mavs fluke championship, tbh

:rollin

[Latarian Milton]

olympics are a free advertisement for the league which's why stern is more than glad to send his guys to olympic games w/o zero payback. it's gonna be great fun to pwn asses on the tournament and win every fucking game by a margin of 30pts or bigger. fat greedy son of a bitch stern, like any other employer, will take every chance he gets to fleece them poor niggas who get paid from him

[redzero]

Thanks for the article, boutons.

boutons has consistently been one of the worst posters on this site for years now. I'm not sure how he manages to stay so low key.

His posts are painful to read. 99% of his posts contain "Repug," "bubba," "Barry," "Big Pharma," "Insanetorum," "Gecko" or some other bullshit. He's like a political cartoon in human form.

[baseline bum]

^ You forgot MagicNegro and gfy.

[DMC]

Anyone who's watched Cuban on "Shark Tank" can see he's a one trick pony who's fucking clueless. He made a fortune on one deal, and what's he done since?

[PublicOption]

the USA look pretty mediocre when they are not getting the superstar calls like they do in the NBA. Its exposing the NBA for the farce it is.

[mavs>spurs]

His posts are painful to read. 99% of his posts contain "Repug," "bubba," "Barry," "Big Pharma," "Insanetorum," "Gecko" or some other bullshit. He's like a political cartoon in human form.

yeah he's one of the biggest raging libtards i've ever seen

[SpursIndonesia]

Just make a one and done rule, so any USA's NBA superstar can only represents his country once. USA has so many quality, pro BBall players, it won't hurt all that much regarding their chance for winning any competition, while satisfying the owners & NBA concern regarding their assets return. Ofcourse, that rule can't be forcefully applied to other country's NBA players, because their number is limited and not anywhere near USA in terms of sheer BBall talent.

[Venti Quattro]

the USA look pretty mediocre when they are not getting the superstar calls like they do in the NBA. Its exposing the NBA for the farce it is.

13 gold medals, bitch

[ElNono]

who give a shit, usa is as dominant as soviet russia was in WWII, all american monkeyballers have to do is show up, and they'll win gold unless a fluke happens, ex. last year's mavs fluke championship, tbh

sup Stalin... do you think monkeyball will work in the olympics?

[Jacob1983]

Mark Cuban should have cared more about keeping Tyson Chandler than bitching about NBA players playing in the Olympics.

[ElNono]

Mark Cuban should have cared more about keeping Tyson Chandler than bitching about NBA players playing in the Olympics.

truth bomb right here

[mudyez]

As stated the problem wouldn't be US-basketball alone but all the other teams like Spain too.
It will be hard to avoid them using NBA-players and if you put a rule in place that prohibits them from doing so, we shouldn't be surprised if players like Rubio or Lorbek never come over (uh wait...s**t).
On the other side, if the USA are using College players vs. guys like Pau, Marc, Ibaka they just will not win.

The "one and done" looks good, but its ugly having teams picking players on: "who are the others playing this time?"...trying to take a big shot while surrendering other years.

An under 23 years rule (for all teams) may be the best thing. It works for soccer and I guess an under23 team would be fun to watch as well. It could be "lets see our Rookies and up and comers!".

But that still doesn't solve the other FIBA tournaments.

Guess Stern/Cuban just want to milk the IOC and nothing more.