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.