Is Allen Iverson wondering where the rest of his boys are? Are they afraid of a little beheading, perhaps?
Rudy Gersten, writing for National Review Online, says some of the National Basketball Association (NBA) players selected for the Olympic team who’ve bowed out for “security concerns” are cowards.
In Basketball’s Girly Boys, he writes:
The list of perennial NBA All Stars that either declined invitations or withdrew after previously agreeing to play is quite impressive: Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby, Jermaine O’Neal, Vince Carter, Elton Brand, Kenyon Martin, and Ben Wallace — to name just a few.
Many of these players have not been shy about why they refused to play for Team U.S.A. Wallace and fellow NBA championship teammate Richard Hamilton quit the Olympic team for “security reasons,” according to the Detroit Free Press. Even though their own head coach, Larry Brown, is the head coach of the Olympic squad, both players were apparently not as brave. Same goes for Kidd, O’Neal, McGrady, and Wallace — all of whom cited “security concerns” as their primary reason not to play.
Several of these players will be in the basketball Hall of Fame one day. But there ought to be an asterisk next to each of their names, to let generations to come know that they decided not to represent our country in the Olympics while America was at war.
Whoa! I like it. Gersten is invoking an antiquated concept I often refer to on this blog: shame. I like this definition: “A condition of disgrace or dishonor; ignominy.”
Antiquated, as I said.
Gertsen notes that it is the Americans who have a “security concerns” issue, naming Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitski, Vlade Divac, Tony Parker, Steve Nash, Manu Ginobili, and Pau Gasol among the players who are overseas playing for the U.S.
“[W]e have not heard of a single foreign-born player who declined to play for his country because of safety concerns,” Gersten writes.
You know what I think of men who are selected for a position of honor to represent their country but then back out because they’re afraid of anti-American sentiment. In my estimation, the sentiment is all the more reason to proudly represent your country, with the American flag in tow.
Hey, maybe their concerned about making their children orphans or their wives widows. Who knows?
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Security concerns my behind! We have men and women out in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan defending freedom of which I am one and these feckless millionaires don’t want to get out of their mansion’s and play ball. Most don’t even visit the troops out in the field. When I was deployed the New England Patriot Cheerleaders came to us. That was nice but some sports notables would have been better. They are direct benficiaries of living in America. This country has provided them wealth beyond belief that they could not obtain anywhere else in the world. They personify there is no “I” in team but there is a “ME.”
Or maybe they’re not playing ’cause it’d be too embarrassing to get thrashed by a no-name team from a developing country…
Don’t you just love double standards!
Let’s see…they’ll brag about the dangers of the “hoods” they came from, but they won’t go compete in the Olympics because of “security concerns”. The Olympics would probably be one of the safest places to be right now. They’re just a bunch of stinking cowards.
Furthermore, this sure shows you the difference in character between these guys and Pat Tillman who willingly gave up millions of dollars to go into the military, and then gave up his life for his country. He is a brave hero. He should be the role model for America’s children, not the cowards who backed out of the Olympics.
BOYCOTT THE NBA COWARDS!!
Whether we win or lose, I’m curious to see how the makeup of the team will spin in the press at the end of the games and how the NBA will rebound from the bad press (pardon the pun)they’ve gotten so far. I mean, there’s no way this is helping ticket sales….
I don’t think americans act rationally to terror fears.
Curious, actus – Are you an American?
Wouldn’t it be nice if our military heroes made as much money and got as much recognition as these glorified putzes?
I think they were chickens. They’ve got their bling, and don’t want to jepoardize it. Always looking out for No. 1.
I don’t think all the blame rests on those who didn’t go… I think the Detroit team(Emphasis on “team”!) that won the NBA title would have swept thru easily.
Too many big stars-no worker bees.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to feel secure and if that includes turning down an Olympic slot, so be it. The Dream Team they ain’t, anyway.
I’m with tallglass of milk. They’re the real stars in my book anyway.
>I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to feel secure and if that includes turning down an Olympic slot, so be it.
Sorry, but that is a girly man answer. NBA players all talk the macho talk, but when push came to shove they couldn’t walk the walk.
They didn’t merely turn the slots down. They made the commitment, then backed out.
Tell it like it is Lady!
I refuse to mock them for being afraid.
There is no one who is fighting on the front lines who is NOT afraid. They face it because they have to face it.
The ballers don’t have to face it.
the choice not to go will be in their minds and in the hearts of many who love the game. the best in the world only applies to those who win on the world stage. those who win in the NBA Championship are only the best in the USA and not the world. So World Champs does not apply anymore if we don’t win the gold. Love is still the ultimate Victor! who is love?
I agree with “actus” , though I don’t think this is confined to Americans. But castigating the basketball players seems a bit unfair given that they’ve responded in exactly the same way as thousands (maybe millions) of their compatriots in refusing to travel out of security concerns. ask any tourism business in the UK.
Originally, I thought it was about money… but if it’s true that originally they were going to go, and =then= backed out. Well, that doesn’t look good.
THe pros need to be out of the Olympics anyway. There also has to be a fundamental change in the way we play basketball in America. That is why they are losing. THese players at the individual level are as good as any others. They just don’t know how to play team ball.
I think the b-ball pros from the US don’t belong in the Olympics anyway. For the majority of them … it isn’t about the thrill of victory anyway … it’s about the thrill of their bank accounts. That is why they so easily tossed away dreams of gold, and stayed home. Shame on ‘em.
The first comment posted says it all for me.
Is there a reasonable security concern? If so is it worth risking life and limb (most notibly the one above your shoulders) for Olympic glory ?
Medals don’t stay on when your head is on the floor.
I agree wholeheartedly; besides I think Athens is one of the safest places on the planet right now, with all the security.
On the other hand, foreign players like Nowitski, etc. (ok you got me, I’m a Mavericks fan…) probably are much less of a target than are US Team players…
Beau? Calling Beau? Earth to Beau? Are you still alive? We need your wisdom, whit and insight.
Lol, okay, the truth. How can I be naughty when I don’t have someone to distract attention from me?
Best column i’ve seen in a while. who is this Gersten guy? never read his work before.
Thumbs down to this thread…nobody is obligated to go to the olympics…the whole concept is irrational…if they don’t want to go, for whatever reasons, then they should have the right to make that choice without criticism.
I suppose this thread has died, but basically this is a slippery slope with the last question being, am I a coward cuzz I didn’t join the military and fight in Iraq?
I agree 100% HiRez. Very slippery slope. Of course I would have liked some of the NBA’s better players but many times there are stories that we don’t hear about.
I know they are millionaires and it is the Olympics but should we force them to go? Or any athlete?
Honestly, what I think would work the best is to send the championship team to the Olympics, I know this is unreasonable due to timing and contracts….
But imagine if “Detroit” was team USA? You would have already had a cohesive unit, that understood the coach and new how to play as a team.
We had a lot of rookies and kids on the team who never even played college ball, and others who were just out of place…
It is actually kind of ridiculous if you think about it. I still don’t think the NBA guys who didn’t come should be criticized.
Let me toss this out, the best boxers in the world don’t fight in the Olympics. Should we criticize them?
These considerations chastise me for being as dismissive as I have been of the poor playing team that did go. This coalition-of-the-willing may not have been as eager or as able as our other olympians, but they stand head and shoulders above their unwilling NBA team-mates.
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