In the world of sports some guys can be brutally numb. Bill Belichick, Nick Saban and a host of others play things close to the vest, and subsequently without an energy shot or five, the attending audience is snoozing by the three-minute mark of the press conference. Others however, like Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, are what writers dream of. After the Paul George injury, Cuban has yet again opened up.
"My thoughts go out to Paul. I really feel for him,” Cuban told ESPN’s Marc Stein, according to ESPN.com.
"The (International Olympic Committee) is playing the NBA. The IOC (International Olympic Committee) is an organization that has been rife with corruption, to the point where a member was accused of trying to fix an Olympic event in Salt Lake. The IOC (pulls in) billions of dollars. They make a killing and make Tony Soprano look like a saint.
"The pros in multiple sports are smart enough to not play when they are eligible free agents. But teams take on huge financial risk so that the IOC committee members can line their pockets.
"The greatest trick ever played was the IOC convincing the world that the Olympics were about patriotism and national pride instead of money. The players and owners should get together and create our own World Cup of Basketball."
For everybody that say the George injury, my heart goes out to your stomach. Realistically though, injuries in sports are a reality, regardless of the venue or umbrella for which it falls under.
The idea of the NBA coming up with their own World Cup of Basketball type of tournament is not a new one. A few short weeks ago, Commissioner Adam Silver addressed this possibility, according to CBSSports.com.
It is a great idea and can be achieved. However the way the NBA goes about it will mean everything to its success, if attempted. Because the US is such a strong nation when it comes to this sport, basketball does not lend itself to a competitive balance across the world. A regional, or city aspect would have to be explored.