When I heard the comments made by NBA stars Dwayne Wade and Ray Allen that the Olympic players need to be paid for their services, I was shocked.
I was shocked that they aren't paid already.
The fact of the matter is that these guys need to be paid something for their services. The physical toll that these players go through and the chance for injury is cause enough for them to be compensated for their labor.
Let's look at this in terms of the players on a physical scale. Most of these guys that are Olympians play long seasons. With the normal 82-game schedule and playoffs, these players will play around 100 games a year. Most players go home right after their seasons for two months to relax, because the six to seven months of basketball can be taxing on a body.
In an Olympic year, however, after the season is over in June, players only get about a week off, and then immediately get ready for Olympic training. The Olympics last about a month, and the gold medal game is slated for Aug. 12 this year, which means players only have about a month to get ready for training camp.
Now that type of stress may not bother a guy like Kevin Durant or Dwight Howard, guys who have little to worry about in terms of heath or age. But what about a guy like Allen, who is well past the twilight of his career? Or Kobe Bryant, who not only has tons of miles on his NBA odometer, but is also recovering from various injuries? What if something happens to him at the Olympics? You think Laker fans and the front office will be happy?
Of course, detractors will tell you that these players make too much money anyway, and don't need the extra cash. They will also say that you shouldn't have to get paid to represent your country.
Let's quickly dismiss the first point. So what if LeBron James makes about $13 million on his NBA contract? His deal with the Miami Heat has nothing to do with him playing for Team USA. They are two different entities - let's treat it as such.
Now let's tackle the issue of national pride and playing for your country. It is important to represent your country, and paying players to do that diminishes it in some way.
But guess what? It's not 1988.
When FIBA and the Olympic committee allowed pros to play on the Olympic level, it changed the scope of the game. Companies like McDonald's and Nike made money off of the original Dream Team because they realized the marketing potential these NBA players have on the international level.
Holding on to this childish dream of players playing for free is a joke, as other people make money off of their labor. The same argument exists in college sports, where the exploitation is far worse. (But that's another argument for another time.) It's 2012, and in today's sports world, Team USA is more of a brand, and a marketing venture than anything else.
I know it's hard to accept, but it's a business, and to think that these players should risk injury to partake in a business venture, especially if they aren't getting paid for it, is ludicrous.
Maybe the companies that sponsor the team can pay the players. A portion of the merchandising dollars for the apparel can be used as payment.
Perhaps because of image concerns, Wade has backed off from his recent comments, saying that pride motivates him more than any dollar amount. But the fact still remains - the business world views this as a marketing opportunity, so why can't the players?
Email: nathaniel.smith@ubspectrum.com
