Comments on: Cuban calls NBA players in Olympics “epitome of stupidity”

By: muhangis

muhangis — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:45:27 +0000

Boy how badly we would not care if U.S. olympic basketball went back to amateurs.

By: muhangis

muhangis — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:44:19 +0000

Amazing how many miss the point. To these players its about the pride of representing your country, going against the very best in the world, teaming with the very best in the world, and the chance to win a gold medal. They love it and so do the fans. What’s so hard to get about that? And strangely hypocritical that Cuban talks about corporate greed. Cuban is ignorant, always is and always was.

By: nuyoricanz

nuyoricanz — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:06:46 +0000

Cuban – you’re a communist

By: oldnavy89

oldnavy89 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:29:49 +0000

The Russians are the ones who called the US out anyway in the late 80′s they said how could the NBA call them selfs world champions and not beat the worlds best thus the Dream Team was formed in 92

By: sprest83

sprest83 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:31:24 +0000

All these people saying that the players dont receive money are blind. They might not get a check from the US, but they make tons of cash for appearances and endorsements. So yes they get paid and get paid well.

By: astrosfan75956

astrosfan75956 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:35:16 +0000

Cuban, come on, let the men represent the country and count your money.

By: bozosforall

bozosforall — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:28:51 +0000

Amateurs? When? The Russians always used pros. So did the East Germans. And Cubans. And Chinese…the list goes on and on.

By: bozosforall

bozosforall — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:28:18 +0000

Amateurs? When? The Russians always used pros. So did the East Germans. And Cubans. And Chinese…the list goes on and on.

By: bozosforall

bozosforall — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:26:54 +0000

STHU, Cuban. F’n idiot.

By: willardj

willardj — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:54:15 +0000

They added pros because the pros are better than amateurs. You want the best people representing your country. The best athletes competing will always generate more money so those two things go hand in hand.

Many don’t participate in the qualifying tournaments because they have an extremely tight schedule. It’s very difficult to play a season of NBA basketball after participating in the Olympics in the off-season. Manu Ginobili has aged so quickly because of all of the Euro league tournaments he’s participated during the offseasons. And it’s pretty much guaranteed that the US will qualify anyway.

Do you honestly think that the players are upset that they’re not being paid for playing in the Olympics?

By: goforthanddie

goforthanddie — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:20:29 +0000

I think he understands it better than you. The Olympics were originally amateur-only and worked just fine that way. Why add pros? Money, dear boy.
If the players REALLY cared about repping America, why do so many refuse to play the qualifying tournaments? That’s representing America too, and in a pretty crappy light. Lose those tournaments, there’s no guarantee we even make the Olympics. But that doesn’t matter. Too many just want the personal glory with as little effort as possible. You know, just like in the NBA.

By: thenmoveback

thenmoveback — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:07:01 +0000

Cuban must hate America

By: willardj

willardj — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:56:21 +0000

I don’t think Cuban understands the point of the Olympics.

It’s about representing your country and playing the sport for the love, not for the money. The reason players join is because they want to represent the U.S. and they love basketball.

If they got paid to play, then that would ruin it. In fact that’s the reason why the Olympic committee took so long to allow professionals to play.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:45:16 +0000

“It’s just the epitome of stupidity that we would allow ourselves to be used so other corporations” — as Cuban calls the Olympics — “can make tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars,” Cuban said. “There’s some guys sitting at the Olympic headquarters going, ‘Those dumb-asses, we’re taking all their best guys for nothing.’ “

Replace “Olympics” with “NCAA” and you have an even more legitimate argument.

By: goforthanddie

goforthanddie — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:40:09 +0000

I cared (more) when it was amateurs-only.

By: charlutes

charlutes — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:32:57 +0000

He makes a compelling argument. That said, selfishly I’d rather watch NBA ballets in the Olympics. Gotta love Cubes though.