Cuban rips NBA Olympians

06:42 AM ET 06.18 | Mark Cuban has been articulate and consistent in his criticism of an Olympic model he considers hypocritical. His objections aren't muted now that two of his stars could compete in the Games this summer. Sources said Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd is part of the U.S. team that will attempt to reclaim the gold medal it lost four years ago. Dirk Nowitzki will be in Beijing as well if his German national team emerges from a qualifying tournament next month. "It's not that I don't like the idea of them representing their countries," Cuban said by e-mail. "If the Olympics were truly a nationalistic endeavor built on sport and part of the public domain, I would be willing to take risk and support their playing. What I don't like is that we lie to ourselves and pretend that the Olympians represent our country. "They don't. They have taken relatively low paying jobs working for the Olympics, who in turn sell the broadcast and marketing rights for billions of dollars in profits, all the while creating enormous risk for those of us who pay them for their day jobs that support their families. It's amazing how players who are free agents won't participate, but those with guaranteed contracts will. "I hate the fact that we lie to ourselves and pretend this is about representing country," Cuban said. "It's not. It's about money."

Dallas Morning News