Paul George’s freak injury that resulted in a compound fracture of both his right tibia and fibia may have some serious consequences for USA Basketball.
After watching George go down and the Indiana Pacers’ season end before it begins, NBA executives started to panic and fear that the same could happen to their stars. As a result, they may want to pull their players from USA Basketball.
Here’s what Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted after the injury:
Owners and GMs united tonight: Paul George injury could be tipping point for use of stars in international play. "Game-changer," GM told me.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) August 2, 2014
SI’s Chris Mannix tweeted the same thing:
Hearing from several coaches and executives tonight re: Paul George injury. Worst fear of international competition. Pushing for changes.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) August 2, 2014
We went through this same debate when the World Baseball Classic began, and we go through it every time an NHL player gets hurt during international competition.
I understand the fears of the GMs and owners, but they need to let go. Our best players should be representing us in international play. Freak injuries can occur at any time. How many players hurt themselves while practicing or working out or even in pickup games? Injuries happen. Don’t ruin our chances at winning gold medals because of one sucky injury.
