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For Love or Money?
Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - Vincent Lim |
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It would be fair to say that no country has ever dominated an Olympic sport quite like the United States has in men’s basketball. The US has brought home the gold medal in men’s basketball 12 out of the 14 Olympics in which they’ve played in. Their only losses in Olympic competition came in 1972 and 1988—both at the hands of the Soviet Union (and the ’72 debacle was certainly a dubious one).
The US winning the gold medal in men’s basketball has become a mere formality in Olympic sports. But with their sixth place finish at the 2002 world basketball championships, for the first time in their Olympic history, it seems like the US may actually have to “compete” for the gold medal in men’s hoops this time around.
At the 2002 world championships in Indianapolis, the US men recorded more losses in a span of 12 days than they had in over 60 years of Olympic competition. Their three losses in Indianapolis definitely got the attention of many NBA players. Following the sad results of the world championships, several prominent NBA players promised to play in the 2004 Olympics to ensure that the gold medal would be returned home to American soil.
But many of those players who initially intended to play in Athens have reneged on their commitment. Jason Kidd is going under the knife. Tracy McGrady is citing “security concerns.” Kevin Garnett is getting hitched. And Kobe Bryant has pressing legal matters to deal with. In their place will be a number of fresh young faces—LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade among others. With the infusion of young and talented players, who will bring some much needed energy and enthusiasm to the Olympic squad, the US should be able to win the gold at the Athens Olympics. Nevertheless, the fact that the US is unable to send its best players to Athens raises some serious questions about the current state of the NBA.
Most established NBA stars are under contract and being paid an extraordinary amount of money to put fans in the stands and help their teams compete for a championship. Owners don’t hand out loads of cash to players because they’re interested in globalizing basketball. We all know that David Stern is probably the only person interested in the NBA’s global appeal; NBA owners have most of their vested interest in their ball clubs on a national level, and most NBA players understand this fact. They know that playing in international basketball games resembles biting the hand that feeds you.
But, of course, nobody wants to say that they’re declining an invitation to the Olympics because of such financial concerns. As Mark Cuban has said: “What do you expect a player to say?…I really don’t want to play. I’m afraid of getting hurt…There’s no way a player is going to say that…But you know, when it all comes down to it, players speak with their pocketbooks.” It’s a choice between love and money. It’s a choice between love for your country and your own love of money. In most cases, one’s own love of money wins out.
With younger players, however, love of money doesn’t seem to factor into the decision making process. Take Emeka Okafor, number 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, as an example. Okafur said being selected to the US Olympic team was “a great honor,” and that playing at the Olympics is “a chance of a lifetime.” Unfortunately, Charlotte Bobcats’ head coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff didn’t feel the same way about Okafur’s selection to the Olympic team. Speaking on behalf of the Bobcats’ franchise, he said “It’s good to represent your country…But I am looking at it from a selfish point of view. I don’t want him worn down.”
Okafur, who will start his pro career with the expansion Charlotte Bobcats next season, has yet to fully realize the financial realities of the NBA. As a player in the NBA, you are a commodity to be bought, sold, traded, and protected by the ball club you play for. Furthermore, as player in the NBA, you’re not just a commodity of the ball club you play for—you’re also a commodity or product of the NBA itself.
The selections of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony to the Olympic team are examples of the marketing forces driving the NBA today. Sal LaRocca, senior vice president for global merchandising for the NBA, has said that, “It will be tough to replicate the business of the first Dream Team in any capacity…But with the young players on the roster, like LeBron and Carmelo, making their appearance in international competition, we’re optimistic sales will be strong.” Has the NBA become merely another soulless, profit-driven multinational corporation? What’s next? Will Spiderman 2 logos be part of the US men’s basketball team jerseys? Once again, it’s rather troubling to see young players unwilling caught up in the financial vortex that is the NBA.
On the other hand, it’s also rather refreshing to see how willing young players like James and Anthony are to play in Athens, especially considering the security issues surrounding the games. Americans deserve a men’s basketball team composed of players who want to be there. We need players like Carmelo Anthony who said, “It has always been a dream of mine to play for my country in the Olympics.” We need players like LeBron James who said, “It’s a dream come true to represent my country.” We don’t want another repeat of the 2002 world championships. We don’t want a team that half-heartedly goes through the motions. In other words, we want players who understand what a privilege it is to live in America and what an honor it is to represent America.
Vincent Lim resides in sunny Southern California and is currently enrolled at UCLA. When he's not watching a game or tuned into ESPN, he enjoys surfing the Net and studying history.
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