NBA stars such as Dwayne Wade and Ray Allen are expected be gearing up for Team USA for the Olympic Games in London. The two Olympic basketball veterans know something about winning medals as Wade won gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Allen won gold in the 2000 Sydney Games.
As the world top athletes compete in the Olympics, non are paid for their participation, aside from winning medals. Both Wade and Allen spoke publicly about their opinions regarding compensation for Olympic players.
"It's a lot of things you do for the Olympics -- a lot of jerseys you sell," said Wade in a report from ESPN via SLAM. "We play the whole summer. I do think guys should be compensated. Just like I think college players should be compensated as well. Unfortunately, it's not there. But I think it should be something, you know, there for it."
Fellow NBA star Ray Allen provided similar commentary to Wade's opinion in an interview with FoxSports.
"You talk about the patriotism that guys should want to play for, but you (need to) find a way to entice the guys," Allen said. "It's not the easiest thing in the world if you play deep in the playoffs and then you get two, three weeks off and then you start training again to play more basketball where it requires you to be away from home and in another country. It's fun, but your body does need a break.
"Everybody says, 'Play for your country.' But (NBA players are) commodities, your businesses. You think about it, you do camps in the summer, you have various opportunities to make money. When you go overseas and play basketball, you lose those opportunities, what you may make... If I'm an accountant and I get outsourced by my firm, I'm going to make some money somewhere else."
The demanding schedule and commitment to play on a national team may be legitimate reasons for compensation. NBA players who decide to join the national team would get only a few weeks break from the time their playoff season end s and Team USA training camp begins.
Ray Allen is reportedly making $20 million over a 2 year contract with the Boston Celtics. Dwayne Wade is making a total of $26.2 million in both contract and endorsements. Winners of gold medals in the Olympics earn $25,000 while silver gets $15,000 and bronze $10,000.
Contradictory to Wade and Allen's comments, Miami Heat superstar LeBron James chimed in saying,
"I love representing my country, man," said James in an interview with ESPN. "I've done it since 2004 and I'm looking forward to doing it in London. As far as [pay], I don't know, man. It doesn't matter. I'm happy to be a part of the team, to be selected again."
After Wade's comments were widely spread throughout the media, he later followed up with a posting on his Twitter account.
"I responded 2 a specific question asked by a reporter on my thoughts of Olympians being paid. I never asked to be paid to PLAY," Wade tweeted. "What I was referencing is there is a lot of Olympic business that happens that athletes are not a part of - and it's a complicated issue.
"BUT my love 4 the game & pride 4 USA motivates me more than any $$ amount. I repped my country in 2004 when we won the bronze medal and...stood proudly to receive our gold medal in 2008 in Beijing. It's always been an honor for me to be a part of the USA Olympic family...and I'm looking forward to doing it again in London this summer."
Teammates Dwayne Wade and LeBron James will be favorable picks to join Team USA for the upcoming Olympics. The long range sharp-shooting guard Ray Allen may be questionable.