USA, USA, USA!!!

As posted earlier, NBA player Paul George broke his leg during a Team USA practice game last night. This injury has created a big conversation about whether or not NBA players should be playing games outside of the regular season. If players get injured in these non-paying games, they can hurt their team for the whole next season. I personally think that if players want to play, they should be allowed to play whenever they want, plus international competition is  a way for NBA players to play with other players they normally wouldn't be able to be on the same team with. Many NBA owners disagree with me.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is not known for being shy about his opinion. Cuban is against NBA players playing in international competitions, especially the Olympics, and has been for a while. In 2012, Cuban said "It's just the epitome of stupidity that we would allow ourselves to be used so other corporations can make tens, if not hundreds of millions, of dollars. There's some guys sitting at the Olympic headquarters going, 'Those dumb-asses, we're taking all their best guys for nothing.' " This Paul George injury has only added fuel to the fire. He is now stressing the financial risks to allowing NBA players to compete in these competitions. After all, owners are making an investment in these players, and part of that is hoping they don't get injured.

I can understand where he and other owners are coming from, but these same players would probably be playing basketball in their home gyms if they weren't playing with Team USA. Granted, they may not be playing as hard at home, but this sport is something they have put their hearts and souls in to all their lives, and they should be allowed to play whenever they want if they are healthy enough to do so. Plus, I'm sure if the NBA refused to allow international competitions, a lot of really tall, strong, athletic guys would get really pissed. That doesn;t sound like a good thing to me.

Oh Snap!

Last night during the White Blue practice game for the NBA's USA Team, Indiana Pacer's star player Paul George broke both his tibia and fibula with just less than 10 minutes left in the game. I've seen a lot of injuries in basketball, but this one has to be one of the hardest to watch. Warning, this video is graphic.

After being taken off the court and the game being cut short, fans and fellow NBA players took to Twitter to show George support. He Tweeted back saying "Thanks everybody for the love and support.. I'll be ok and be back better than ever!!! Love y'all!!" Twitter gave him the opportunity to reassure his fans and colleagues directly that he is feeling okay and optimistic. George has over 800,000 Twitter followers, and his daily tweets probably help his fans feel close to him. Especially now with his injury. He is probably going to appreciate all of the support he is getting since sources say he is out for the season. First Derrick Rose with his injury last year, now him?

Speaking of Derrick Rose, he is also playing for Team USA which has been pretty controversial. The Chicago Bulls super star injured his left ACL in a playoffs game again the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2011-2012 season. He returned the next season to play only ten games before tearing his right knee meniscus. These Team USA games are the first time he's played competitively since his second injury. It's controversial because he isn't being payed to play for Team USA, and if he injures himself again, he may be out for another season. After what happened to Paul George, anything is possible. After signing a 5 year, nearly 100 million dollar contract with the Bulls, I assume they'd like to have him play.