Ray Allen thinks Olympians should be paid to play. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Apparently just playing for the honor of your country might not be enough for some NBA players. Sonics guard Ray Allen says USA Basketball should consider paying NBA players to play in the Olympics, according to a report in The Seattle Times. Allen said that Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo, who was picked to oversee USA Basketball through the 2008 Games in Beijing, should effectively abandon the idea of having tryouts and pay players instead. "You're dealing with a different animal than the other sports," Allen said. "You've got people who are selling out buildings (venues) and if you want these particular (NBA) players there, how do you get them there?" With the overload of information (read: videotape) available on most players, asking a star such as Shaquille O'Neal to try out for the Olympic team might simply be a waste of time. "When we did that when we were in college, you don't really know who can play. You're playing in a system," said Allen, who scored a career playoff-high 45 points Sunday in the Sonics' 115-103 victory over Sacramento in Game 4. "A lot of guys have proven what they can do. You mean to tell me you're going to make Shaq try out? I don't think so." But Allen insists he isn't suggesting players deserve to be paid for representing their country, it's just that paying them might entice the most talented ones to participate in the '08 Games. "I'm by no means saying I need to get paid," he said, "but you're talking about some of these young players who are some of the best players in the world and why would they want to play in the summer?" Allen won a gold medal while playing for the U.S. at the Sydney Games in 2000. Two years ago, he played on the team that qualified, and later won a bronze medal at last summer's Athens Olympics. But he feels most NBA veterans simply need the summer to rest and prepare for the next season.</div> Link: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3586846 Gimme a break, the other countries dont pay their players if I'm not mistakened. Now he is making excuses for losing with a friggin dream squad? Whatta loser!
I don't see what makes him so stupid In fact in the article itself he says he doesnt feel they deserve to be paid, only that it may solve the problem of getting the big names to play. If I recall, he passed on the Olympics because he was getting married? Or was having a child, I forget. I don't see your problem.. 'Other countries dont pay their players' which is probably true, but then other countries dont really have problems getting their best to play for them either. I don't see him making excuses for losing; Ray wasn't part of the bronze-medal team so in fact I wouldn't even say it's his excuse to give. The most commonly used excuse in the media was that the best players didn't play, and Ray is just putting forth a suggestion that may very well echo what many players feel (however unlikely). If anything the blame for that Bronze might be best placed at the feet of your very own Larry Brown.. Who benched three players who went on to be MVP candidates this year..
I think you have no idea what your talking about. I don't see any excuse there at all. He's just saying that if you want a lineup like Kobe, Tmac, KG, Duncan, and Shaq....your going to have to pay for it. Its just not that big of a deal to these players to go into the olympics. Everyone is always wondering why the superstars of the league don't show up to the olympics. A reason is probably that they don't want to risk injury for their team that they play for in the NBA. Most of the players above also go pretty deep into the playoffs and get less rest. They will be tired at the beginning of the season and that has an effect on their whole team. He's also saying that making these kind of guys try out is ridiculous, and I totally agree. Why should a guy like shaq waste his time trying out? This is where money comes in, pay them and they might have the incentive to play.
GET HIM! <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">He's just saying that if you want a lineup like Kobe, Tmac, KG, Duncan, and Shaq....your going to have to pay for it....A reason is probably that they don't want to risk injury for their team that they play for in the NBA.</div> Which is just sad.Having them play in the olympics isnt asking much of them after allowing these players too make tens of millions of dollars.Its kind of depressing the way players today have turned into such divas.The OG dream team was proud to stomp on the competition while wearing the USA jersey and the players today should be the same way.With that attitude the USA doesnt deserve another gold medal.If this country were to cave in and pay players for the olympics id cheer against us.Players with the mindset of Ray Allen need an ego check and a change of attitude.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GiantMidget:</div><div class="quote_post">GET HIM! Which is just sad.Having them play in the olympics isnt asking much of them after allowing these players too make tens of millions of dollars.Its kind of depressing the way players today have turned into such divas.The OG dream team was proud to stomp on the competition while wearing the USA jersey and the players today should be the same way.With that attitude the USA doesnt deserve another gold medal.If this country were to cave in and pay players for the olympics id cheer against us.Players with the mindset of Ray Allen need an ego check and a change of attitude.</div> You are taking his comments out of context. He says they don't deserve to be paid and that he doesn't want to be paid. If anything it is an indictment of the attitude of the young players today who would REQUIRE payment as a criteria for playing.
As dumb as that may sound I think that's what the NBA will come to if they want their top of the line players playing in the olympics. Don't call Allen an idiot, I mean last night didn't he just score 45?!? I know it sounds unbelieveable that you would actually have to pay a player to represent their country but that is what this day and age is about these days, money.
^Nope,even if he did say they dont deserve to be payed he still said,<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">these young players who are some of the best players in the world and why would they want to play in the summer?"</div> What I said is justified.Cant believe he said "summer" and not "olympics".Its a me first attitude.
I think Ray's comments speak for themselves, and anyone who misinterprets them is doing it on purpose.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GiantMidget:</div><div class="quote_post">GET HIM! Which is just sad.Having them play in the olympics isnt asking much of them after allowing these players too make tens of millions of dollars.Its kind of depressing the way players today have turned into such divas.The OG dream team was proud to stomp on the competition while wearing the USA jersey and the players today should be the same way.With that attitude the USA doesnt deserve another gold medal.If this country were to cave in and pay players for the olympics id cheer against us.Players with the mindset of Ray Allen need an ego check and a change of attitude.</div> Isn't much? Sorry, but it has a huge affect on the player. If you haven't noticed, 82 games in a 6 months (many times 7 and more games because of playfoffs) is already a lot of games. A player needs the summer to get healthy and regain his strength and recover for the following season. They also need some time to focus on their lives, many of them have families you know. Training camps take a lot of the players and the games do as well. When it comes to the following NBA season, they often are tired and not in tip top physical shape. And taking tens of millions dollars? The owners of the teams make enough money from their players. So they aren't "taking the money". Most of them are actually earning the money. The one's who don't are probably aging.
i think its a bad idea to pay players a lot of young foreign player would want to play for the USA because they'Re gettin paid... pretty much like in other sports (Monika Seles - USA,)
Michael Jordan didnt need to be payed,neither did any of the teams that have featured our top players up to this point.Do these players think theyre better?European players dont get paid to play for their countries.They happily suit up.Our players make excuses as to why they didnt come or suggest that paying them would help.Paying players makes sense if youre thinking about the players first.
Times have changed since the original dream team. Think about it. Back then, B-ball was not the international game that it is today. Hell, international competition wasn't what it is today. Players had very little lose and a lot of glory to gain. Four years later it's the same story. Players want to be a part of that olympic mystique. Hang that gold medal up on their wall and be proud. Even Dream Team III managed this. But interest waned with every "sequel," and like many movies none of the newer incarnations would ever live up to the original. Don't think that players don't realize that. However at some point it got to the point where winning didn't really say much since it was expected, and losing was a big deal and got you crucified. Why would ANYONE want to go through Paul Pierce's experience? It's the people's fault the players dont want to go somewhere where they have little to gain and so much to lose. On top of that, an injury could mean an end to their career, and there are much more serious concerns in recent years in terms of security on top of that. All this self-righteuous "play for your country" banter is difficult to justify. It just isn't 1992 anymore. Personally I doubt even paying players will make them go. It's not like an extra million or three will make a difference to the monster contracts that star players already command today.
i think that he's just speaking the truth....cmon..just think about it, if u were a nba player and u play a whole season of ball, all the practices, and the games, dont you think you would want to rest for a couple months before camp starts? spend time with family and friends? Plus by playing in the olympics you have a great chance of getting hurt....so i think it all comes down to the individual, is their time off more important? or representing your country more important? and there are players that are more than happy to play in the olympics....but there are still many people that needs incentives for themselves to play...thats just how the world is.....
Have any of you guys ever thought that playing for and representing your country should be an honor not a well paid job? You gotta think here fellas, if they were to pay NBA players salary to compete in the Olympics, we would be the only country to do this in the world. Would this better the USA Basketball players and organization's reputation? Hmmm.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Need4Sheed:</div><div class="quote_post">Have any of you guys ever thought that playing for and representing your country should be an honor not a well paid job? You gotta think here fellas, if they were to pay NBA players salary to compete in the Olympics, we would be the only country to do this in the world. Would this better the USA Basketball players and organization's reputation? Hmmm.</div> All blown out of proportion. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Article:</div><div class="quote_post">But Allen insists he isn't suggesting players deserve to be paid for representing their country, it's just that paying them might entice the most talented ones to participate in the '08 Games.</div> Ray isn't saying players should be paid, he's saying there probably needs to be some kind of an incentive other than just the 'pride of representing your country' if the big names are to be attracted. 82 games plus playoffs is a lot of basketball, and the summer is when these guys want to rest. NOTHING is stopping players from putting their hands up and saying they want to play in the Olympics, nothing at all.
^ Does Australian Olympic athletes get paid? Does Ian Thorpe or Andrew Bogut get paid? Do you think they should get paid for competing? Did Magic, MJ, Ewing, Robinson, Bird, Drexler, Stockon, etc. get paid? Why should these greddy bastards get paid to represent their country? They can't play with enough heart and soul for a medal if the money isn't there? This is my last comment. If you guys actually think these guys needs any more loot than they already have to play for their nation, I'm sorry but you all need to check yourselves. Peace!
They shouldn't be paid. If they don't want to play then they shouldn't play. The US can win if they field a well balanced team that wants to be there and DOES feel the pride. The 2004 olympic team was a sham built by an NBA committee that was more interested in fielding marketable players than in building a team based on roles and chemistry. There will be excellent players that will commit to the 2 year period and will WANT to play for their country. There will be a couple of superstar players that will do the same. There is a premium on shooting and on athletic, mobile posts who can hit a mid-range jumper in the international game. There are plenty of US born shooters in the NBA, unfortunately only a couple were marketable enough to be invited to play, and none either could or would. A TEAM built around the complementary superstars and solid role players from the NBA and college that works together for two years has a solid chance of winning. Even the 04 team could have won if they had asked Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson, Michael Redd or Rashard Lewis to play. They had a strong post, a frenetic, energized point (if Brown would have played AI at the point) and some great athletes to fill out roles. They needed shooters and they needed team defense. They had neither. Tryouts will help find the role players. The superstars that want to set an example will tryout with them, but they will already know they have a spot. Tim Duncan will tryout, he is that type of player. His leadership by example (combined with the Admiral's) set the tone for San Antonio. No one enters that system and thinks they can be "the man." If TD works his butt off and still gets chewed out by Pop when he screws up, they know they better buck up and work, too. No star treatment, and they have a TEAM that can survive bad games or injuries to their stars. If a superstar thinks he deserves special treatment, then he isn't the right type of leader for the olympic team, plain and simple.
Christ. Find me somewhere in the article where Ray Allen says he thinks athletes should be paid to go to the olympics. I challenge you. I'll even make it harder for you by highlighting a quote. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">But Allen insists he isn't suggesting players deserve to be paid for representing their country, it's just that paying them might entice the most talented ones to participate in the '08 Games.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pwn3d!:</div><div class="quote_post">Christ. Find me somewhere in the article where Ray Allen says he thinks athletes should be paid to go to the olympics. I challenge you. I'll even make it harder for you by highlighting a quote.</div> Actually, I think it may only have been the King's fans who were sticking to the claim that Ray said they should be paid. I'm guessing that they were just wallowing in Ray-Hate after he torched them in Arco on Sunday. It looks like the thread has turned into more of a debate about whether paying them is a good idea, or so it seems to me.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting psheehy:</div><div class="quote_post">It looks like the thread has turned into more of a debate about whether paying them is a good idea, or so it seems to me.</div> Fair call, the thread title just annoys me, and the bolded first line of the first post. Seems someone didn't actually read the article through before posting it on here.
