Cavs Won't Allow Ilgauskas To Play In Beijing Olympics

[duncan228]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/06/13/ilgauskas.olympics.ap/index.html

Cavs won't allow Ilgauskas to play in Beijing Olympics

CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James will be the only Cleveland Cavaliers player going to China this summer.

The Cavaliers have declined permission for center Zydrunas Ilgauskas to play for Lithuania in the Olympics.

Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said Ilgauskas is a higher-risk player because of his injury history. The 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas was plagued by foot injuries early in his career and the Cavs are concerned about his lower back.

Ilgauskas needed permission to play because his contract is not fully insured.

"We declined consent for Zydrunas to play in the Olympics when he approached us several weeks ago, and in light of the inability to insure Zydrunas adequately, we continue to deny consent and will not permit Zydrunas to play in the 2008 Olympics as a member of the Lithuanian National Team," Ferry said in a statement.

Ilgauskas viewed the Beijing Olympics as his last chance to play for his country.

A message seeking comment was left Friday for Ilgauskas' agent, Herb Rudoy.

[ducks]

good

[DDS4]

Big Z has been pretty durable since those foot injuries.

[1Parker1]

It's pretty funny they're willing to risk a potential injury to their franchise player though. Makes no sense. Even if Lebron is proven more "durable" in the past, the Olympics is still basketball. Players can get injured. If you deny one player on your team, shouldn't you deny them all? Unless Lebron has some kind of special insurance...

That'd be like Pop saying to Manu, given you're history, you can't play for the NT. But Parker, you've been pretty durable, you can go ahead and play. Imagine the outlash SpursFans would have! :lol

[ducks]

Lebron:rolleyes:rolleyes:rolleyes

[T Park]

Wish the Spurs had the cojones to tell Oberto and Manu the same DAMN thing.

[J.T.]

Wish the Spurs had the cojones to tell Oberto and Manu the same DAMN thing.

Manu didn't play international ball last season and all he has to show for it is a 6th man trophy.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Manu didn't play international ball last season and all he has to show for it is a 6th man trophy.

:lol

Someone should keep telling Manu that all through 2008-2009 season as a motivational tool. That oughta piss him off to no end. He hates that trophy. Getting it in a ringless year must make him madder and madder.

[Dex]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/06/13/ilgauskas.olympics.ap/index.html

Cavs won't allow Ilgauskas to play in Beijing Olympics

CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James will be the only Cleveland Cavaliers player going to China this summer.

The Cavaliers have declined permission for center Zydrunas Ilgauskas to play for Lithuania in the Olympics.

Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said Ilgauskas is a higher-risk player because of his injury history. The 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas was plagued by foot injuries early in his career and the Cavs are concerned about his lower back.

Ilgauskas needed permission to play because his contract is not fully insured.

"We declined consent for Zydrunas to play in the Olympics when he approached us several weeks ago, and in light of the inability to insure Zydrunas adequately, we continue to deny consent and will not permit Zydrunas to play in the 2008 Olympics as a member of the Lithuanian National Team," Ferry said in a statement.

Ilgauskas viewed the Beijing Olympics as his last chance to play for his country.

A message seeking comment was left Friday for Ilgauskas' agent, Herb Rudoy.

It all comes down to that. The NBA is a business, and what team is going to want to put their greatest assets at risk without any insurance or collateral.

Something tells me that the Cavalier orgo has an extensive insurance policy on Lebron playing with Team USA. I bet it's a lot harder to reach that same sort of agreement with a Lithuanian organization (or any other country, for that matter)

However, guys play for their NT all the time, and this is the first report I've read (at least recently) of a guy being denied permission to do so. Cavs really brought down the hammer. I wonder if anybody else will follow suit.

Cuz, ya know...having a gimpy Parker all the way through this season was really awesome. Especially since France didn't even make the cut.

[Brutalis]

Newsflash to the Spurs. Get that clause in your international players contracts in the future. Please.

[ducks]

if players can not rid bikes
surf or other things
why can they not put these clauses in the contracts also

[exstatic]

if players can not rid bikes
surf or other things
why can they not put these clauses in the contracts also

David Stern. Having NBA players in International competitions over the summer is some pretty dope free publicity for the league. It also maintains interest in the league over the off season.

I don't blame Cleveland a bit. Over one four year period, Z played in only 91 games, barely more than one season's worth. Cleveland patched him up and he was paid the whole time, but he does NOT need to be playing more than the already endless NBA season. He's got more screws in his foot than any neighborhood hardware store.

[ducks]

oj I agree stern a jerk
I am just saying stern should have no control over that

[ElNono]

It's probably his country unwilling or unable to get him insurance. I remember the same thing happened with Manu for the Athens Olympic Games. Eventually the Argentina basketball association, along with some sponsors chipped in the money and he played.
I'm sure Oberto has a similar arrangement.

[cze1860]

i want to know why??:depressed

[Indazone]

Big Z should play anyway. What are the Cav's gonna do? Don't come back next year cause you defied us? LMAO Screw the Cavs. Go play for your country like your teammate Lebron James.

[Capt Bringdown]

I lost interest in the Olympics when they started allowing pros to play. If our collegiate players can't beat the rest of the world, so be it.

And if Manu's banged up enough to destroy our title bid, he shouldn't be running off to play in the friggin' Olympics.

Olympics don't put bread on the table, do they? One's livelihood should take precedence over the silly Olympics, which have become just another corporate spectacle in recent years.

Manu, step into my office.
Why?
Because you're so f__king fired.

[ElNono]

I lost interest in the Olympics when they started allowing pros to play. If our collegiate players can't beat the rest of the world, so be it.

And if Manu's banged up enough to destroy our title bid, he shouldn't be running off to play in the friggin' Olympics.

Olympics don't put bread on the table, do they? One's livelihood should take precedence over the silly Olympics, which have become just another corporate spectacle in recent years.

Manu, step into my office.
Why?
Because you're so f__king fired.

He rather bring glory to his country than stay home counting the money...
I think it's commendable, and I'm sure Argentina fans consider him more of a hero because of that.

[ducks]

yeah real honoring to so his country and not honor that contract that is allowering him to pay his bills and family bill

that is real honoring

[ducks]

Big Z should play anyway. What are the Cav's gonna do? Don't come back next year cause you defied us? LMAO Screw the Cavs. Go play for your country like your teammate Lebron James.

tear up his contract and he will lose all that money


it is just like your boss saying you can not do something
except in this case you do not lose as much money as him

[Indazone]

Take it to court. I can't imagine the negative effect the negative publicity would have on the Cavs. I can't believe that there is an organization in the NBA that would say no to any player who wanted to play in the Olympics. It's one thing if they don't want to but another if they did. How many athletes dream of representing their country at least one time in the Olympics?

[ElNono]

yeah real honoring to so his country and not honor that contract that is allowering him to pay his bills and family bill

that is real honoring

He played for the Spurs all year long. He did adhere to his contract. Plus he sought insurance for the team in case something happens.
Not being from a 3rd world country, I don't expect you grasp why it is so important for him and his country.

At any rate, Manu could retire tomorrow and still have enough money for a lifetime or 3. Guys like him at this point in their career play for glory. The money is gravy.

[ducks]

yeah the insurance really helps the spurs when he is spent and can play 25 minutes a game because he plays this summer

[timvp]

99% of the time international players are told they can't play for their team, it's actually just the player asking their NBA team to give them a good excuse to miss it. Remember last summer, Ginobili and Oberto were supposedly "not allowed" to play for Argentina. That was just Ginobili and Oberto getting a vacation without Argentina getting pizzed off.

It's rare that an international player REALLY wants to play and the NBA blocks it. For example in this case, Big Z could have purchased more insurance if he was dying to play for Lithuania. Using the Cavs as an excuse is easier than coming up with an excuse for his countrymen.

[ElNono]

yeah the insurance really helps the spurs when he is spent and can play 25 minutes a game because he plays this summer

Wait, so it's Manu's fault that we didn't have a bench and we had to overplay him to make the playoffs?
Plus he always had his better seasons after playing international competitions.

[angelbelow]

not cool by the cavs, but understandable...