[mds0549Participant]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7805591/miami-heat-dwyane-wade-backs-compensation-olympics

Obviously he’s stupid enough to ask for money but smart enough to figure out when 99% of people don’t agree with him and it was going to be a public relations nightmare.  I’m sure that his statements were taken out of context like everyone who has a microphone in front of them.  This doesn’t change my opinion of him – he’s still a greedy jerk who wants to get paid for patriotism.

[PaulsJayhawksParticipant]

Makes me sick……okay how about you figure out how much YOU deseve dwade then go and split it with all the other shot putters, high jumpers etc that train just as hard as for the pleasure of competing for their country….the nba is seriously starting to lose me with all these greedy sob’s

[r377Participant]

Did he get this tip on back tracking with media statements from dwight howard ?

[DurantsWingspan]

Doesn’t even exlain himself. Just says the exact opposite of what he said the day before without any explanation of why he thinks differently than yesterday. Obviously he feels he should get payed. I agree with you Paul Jayhawks. With all of these primadonnas in the league, it really makes you wish there was an ABA to give you something to watch if you get sick of the drama.

[JordoParticipant]

If I was an amazing athlete I would be honered and humbled by the fact that I get to put on that USA jersey and represent my country in the Olympics. I know it’s a sacrifice and there’s always the possibitly of getting hurt but c’mon Wade…

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

Wade has been going to the Lebron school of media.

[OrangeJuiceJonesParticipant]

 Just when I thought D-Wade was one of the rare breed of humble superstars…..

[sheltwon3Participant]

Based on what I have gathered, he said the other day that basketball players should be paid to pay in the olympics in response to a question.  Today he said that he himself did not want to be paid to play.  I think people need to take what is said in context.  I am sure a lot of stuff we say on a day to day basis would sound pretty messed up if taken out of context.

[tuck243Participant]

outside of Men’s basketball what other sport sells merchandise for the olympics??  And other countries pay their players as well…   I do agree with "something" but to mention this publically is dumb…  This should be an under the table thing…  smh… 

[doubledribblerParticipant]

I’m kind of tired how everything is always being spun. During the lockout players were considered greedy because they would not take the first horrible deal the poor billionaire owners wanted them to sign. Part of the reason was because the average person would be willing to be in the NBA for free. That’s great and all, but the sponsors and fans wouldn’t want to see it and the owners and would definitely be losing money in that case unless they moved the games to high school gyms. The players ARE the product, that’s why you have your Kobe, Durant, Lebron, Rose, Melo jerseys and still holding onto your Jordan, Bird and Magic Jerseys. Your friendly team owners are still selling overpriced food and drinks, giving seats away to sponsors that have plenty of money to pay for themselves and still raising ticket prices.

Once team USA decided to go to the pros because of everyone else catching up, they got spoiled. Once winning a gold medal was not a given again, Wade along with others stepped up to represent their country.  Now if Wade refused to play then half of you would be calling him"un-American."  That phrase is also used often when people go against anything the corporations, I mean government leaders say. People have to stop pretending or dreaming what if they were an NBA basketball player. They have far more to lose due to an injury. On top of that, their owners don’t want them playing in the Olympics. Think of how many guys get hurt or don’t get enough rest afterwards. The teams don’t benefit and the last time I checked they are NBA employees. The NBA is a much longer season than what other professional leagues have.

With all that said, Wade never asked or demanded money and never made it part of whether or not he would play.  ESPN, like other publications like to take a story and slant it or put it out of context enough to make it an outrage. Sometimes people would rather just get emotional about a story instead of thinking about what is being said (i.e. Trayvon Martin/ Zimmerman…No one knows what happened, but everyone is trying to paint each individual a certain way). You should re-read the original story. Olympic athletes do get paid performance bonuses. I believe the basketball teams have often donated that money since the pros have taken over.  You also overlook how much is made from TV rights and sponsorships. I don’t think you realize how much companies spend on commercials alone when it’s not the Super Bowl, let alone a major worldwide event that people around the globe are tuning in for. These guys are not only going to London to win, but to increase tv ratings, sell jerseys and hopefully win over more future basketball stars.

[Winning_TimeParticipant]

 Clearly he needs to learn from Kobe..

 

[Winning_TimeParticipant]

 Clearly he needs to learn from Kobe..

 

[river09Participant]

I thought you are invited to play for the USA team anyway.. If you don’t want to, I don’t think anyone is making you.. This whole situation is a pretty sad sight.. I personally enjoy playing basketball and never turn down an opportunity to play.. If you can’t play a game just because no one will pay you for it that’s bordering pathetic.. At least be honest and say you don’t want to play.. The excuse of “I don’t want to get hurt” isn’t really warranted either.. I could get injured in a car accident today, but that doesn’t stop me from driving a car. And that’s a necessity to get to work, not a game..

A step back and some thought should have happened before he made these comments…

[mds0549Participant]

I would like to hear what the magic number is.  Just how much money do you want to get paid to represent your country?  500k, 1 million…this way we can figure out just how selfish you really are and how superior you think you are.  How much are the coaches getting paid to deal with these *holes? 

[omphalosParticipant]

Also, Team USA gives a unique opportunity for the very best to train with equally talented teammates and benefit from shared knowledge, just look at how much everyone who played in the World Championship winning US team benefited. Chandler got a ring, Rose got the MVP, Durant made it to the WCF, Russ took that big leap, Love became an All-Star, AI was an All-Star for the first time. Sure, some of this was natural progression, but literally every player came back from the FIBA championship team better than they were in some way.

There’s a lot to be said for the experience gained playing for Team USA, especially in terms of buying into a team-concept and learning D from Coach K. They want to get paid for what is essentially a huge skills clinic and a unique opportunity to do something beyond the NBA? Forget about it.

[PaulsJayhawksParticipant]

You hit the nail on the head and I was going to post the same thing. I’ll bet there are guys lineing up that would dream of a chance to win a gold medal for their country that normally only AMATEURS should  win imo…..if you are worried about getting hurt or its such a huge time commitment just say no thank you and move the fcuk along

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