NBA will reopen debate in wake of Paul George injury
League commissioner Adam Silver reacts to remarks by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who opposes players taking part in global tournaments like the Olympics
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league would reopen debate on the merits of participating in international events following Paul George's gruesome injury, but did not see a major shift in policy.
George, an Indiana Pacers All-Star, suffered a compound fracture of his lower right leg on Friday in a USA team's intra-squad training session ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain to be held from August 30 and is expected to miss the NBA season.
"I don't anticipate a major shift in the NBA's participation in international competitions," Silver said in an e-mail to ESPN.
We take on an inordinate amount of financial risk for little, if any, quantifiable gain
"It seems clear, however, that this will be a topic at our next NBA competition committee meeting in September and our board of governors meeting in October."
Silver spoke out after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban renewed calls for the NBA to run its own global events independent of FIBA, the international governing body, since the league assumes a big financial risk and does not directly profit from the players' participation.
The NBA chief said the sport and the league had benefited from participation of the game's greatest players in the Olympics and world championships.
"Without a doubt, basketball has grown tremendously since 1992, when NBA players began playing in the Olympics," Silver said, referring to the Barcelona Games when the US "Dream Team" made their debut.