To Play or Not to Play?

                Who is better the 2012 U.S.A Olympic basketball team or the “Dream Team?” It is the debate that has been revolving around the sports world for weeks. But why? Because people loved the dream team and still do. People loved to see the best players in the world absolutely dominate inferior competition. But with David Stern now proposing that there be an age limit of 23 to go to the Olympics because of potential injuries, will we ever see another Dream Team again? 

                It seems kind of hypocritical of the NBA to disallow players older than 23 to go to the Olympics because owners don’t want to see their “million dollar man” go down. Especially for a U.S. team that is clearly the best team in the world and some would say has nothing to prove. Yet the NBA seems to forget about the foreign players.  Their countries do have something to prove and they desperately need their help to do so. This makes it an all-or-nothing situation. If the owners are so worried about injuries is it really fair for teams like San Antonio, who relies heavily on the well-being of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobilli, to have their star players put their health at risk? A team like the Mavericks season could be lost if their superstar Dirk Nowitzki were to go down in the Olympics, right? So if injuries in the Olympics are as threatening as the NBA is making it out to be then are they not giving teams without any foreign players an advantage of lower health risk? 

                The only real solution to the problem is to simply let the players play. If the owners really have a problem with their star players potentially getting hurt then include a no Olympics clause in their contracts, and if the player refuses then you better just accept the fact that most players want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the past legends that represented our country in the greatest international sporting event possible, the Olympics.