A serious conundrum has plagued NBA teams and players for quite some time. It will also plague me throughout this article as I display both sides of this issue. 

Take the Joker's Advice

One of the best lines in The Dark Knight is when the Joker attempts to persuade mobsters to give him a large sum of money to take down the Batman. His reason being “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” Some NBA team owners should certainly share this sentiment for their star players. This increasingly controversial realm of professional basketball came to a boiling point last year when Paul George suffered a gruesome compound fracture while representing the United States during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. George, a rising star by all measurements, was sidelined for most of the subsequent NBA season. At a ripe age, and with a team that could perform well in the Eastern Conference, George’s injury halted the Indianapolis Pacers progress significantly. His injury made many wonder, is playing for the United States during the summer worth it? 

For some NBA team executives and coaches, I’m sure the answer to that question is no. Most Olympic and World Cup players are walking multi-million dollar investments for team owners. Imagine buying a brand new car—one that costs millions of dollars—and allowing a friend to borrow it for the summer. Even if that friend is the safest driver in the world, there is no stopping a freak accident. 

Teams should absolutely be worried about their star players’ participation in summer competition. There is simply a higher propensity for injury during competitive basketball, instead of lounging out by their pools during the summer. 
However, there is a stronger argument for teams to be relaxed towards their players’ involvement in summer competition.

Be the Batman

Much like Batman, who doesn't seek monetary gain for being a hero, some NBA players simply want to play for their country out of love. For many professional athletes, playing their respective sport on a global stage is the pinnacle of achievement. Not only do the basketball players themselves feel validated by earning a spot on a national roster, but NBA team officials must feel pride in employing Olympic and World Cup caliber players. Teams can tout their American heroes, and use it for marketing undoubtedly. So, maybe teams should push their players to vie for a spot on a national roster, and hope for the best. If a player loves the game, teams should adhere to that passion.

After the devastating injury to George, Indianapolis Pacers Team President Larry Bird summed up his feelings about his player competing for the United States: 

"We still support USA Basketball and believe in the NBA's goals of exposing our game, our teams and players worldwide," the Hall of Fame player said. "This is an extremely unfortunate injury that occurred on a highly-visible stage, but could also have occurred anytime, anywhere."

This mindset displayed by Bird is one that all team officials should adopt.  Unfortunate circumstances arise daily. Take Rory McIlroy and Jason Pierre-Paul for example. This summer,  Mcllroy injured his ankle playing soccer with his friends and Pierre-Paul blew off parts of his hand while handling fireworks. Pierre-Paul’s may be an extreme case of stupidity, but it is clear that human behavior has an inherent danger to it. Professional sports organizations, or anyone responsible for the health of athletes, can’t prevent adults from doing what they want to without contract provisions. Even that is slippery slope. If anything, playing basketball could be one of the safest things for NBA players to continue during in the off-season. With the appropriate rest, players are training and reinforcing essential parts of their body to be more polished.

What happened to George was a freak accident due to environmental factors, not the actual basketball being played. George and Bird understand this:

“Larry, of all people, knows how important it is to play and represent for your country,” George said. “So regardless of the situation, I know he’s got my back on that one. And it’s a personal goal. I won’t let injury … injury is a part of the game. The last thing I’ll do is let that keep me from making the dream happen.”

George is a gamer, and those are the type of players that owners and coaches in the NBA should be proud to have on their team. Discouraging them to stay away from summer competition stands against everything an athlete stands for. 

Final Verdict

In all, NBA teams share a perfectly reasonable fear in seeing their star player go down with an injury in competition at any time. Having that injury occur during competition outside the NBA is even more dilapidating. However, most of the American players have wanted nothing more than to represent their country at some point in their life. Blood, sweat, and tears are shed to reach super-stardom in the world of professional basketball. The brightest stars are the ones that shine at all times, and coaches or owners shouldn’t get in the way of that. Fear should not be the deciding factor in American players’ fates.