There's been a lot of discussion about the Warriors "not allowing" Wiggins to join Canada's Olympic team, and this is simply not true.
As per The Athletic:
A Warriors spokesperson responded to a request for comment from The Athletic by saying the decision was made mutually by Wiggins and the team and Golden State could not preclude him from playing for Canada. This was a medical decision, team sources said.
The Warriors said that this was a "mutual decision" but also clarified that they could not preclude him from playing for Canada.
This is because of an over 30 year agreement the NBA has with FIBA where teams are not allowed to hold players back from major international tournaments.
under the NBA's agreement with FIBA, NBA teams are required
to permit their players to play in certain major national-team
competitions, provided that adequate insurance is obtained.These include the Olympics, world championships, continental
championships [such as the European Championships], and relevant
qualifying tournaments.
Another article was written about this a few years later:
The agreement gave all basketball players the right to play for their national teams
And another article references this a few years later again:
“Like Dirk, I can’t stop him,” Cuban said in an email reply to ESPNDallas.com. “It’s his decision.”
Cuban said he did not specifically tell Parsons that he didn’t want the small forward playing for Team USA after signing a three-year, $46 million deal with Dallas. Cuban didn’t think it was necessary and isn’t allowed to pressure players to not play international ball.
As proof that this 34 year agreement still stands, The 2024 Paris Olympic Games website actually references the agreement, stating that it is indeed still in effect:
NBA players can play in the FIBA World Cup. In May 1990 FIBA and the NBA signed an agreement allowing NBA players to participate in FIBA events.
TL;DR: NBA teams are categorically not allowed to withold players from joining the Olympics or other major FIBA tournaments as per a 34 year long agreement between the NBA and FIBA.
by ohgosh_thejosh
26 Comments
Warriors should now be punished and forced to trade Podz to the Jazz for a second round pick
Sure. They can’t explicitly say you can’t play… However, if your primary employer who also pays you tens of M’s a year suggests that you don’t play in the olympics, you not playing
>provided that adequate insurance is obtained
is there a definition of “adequate insurance”?
Wiggins showed up to training camp just for fun and said “nah nevermind”
sure
Yeah but… they can strongly suggest.
Edey really thought it would be better playing against scrubs in summer league versus actual competition in the Olympics 😭
Thinking an employee has leverage is kinda cute ngl
But they can **strongly suggest** they don’t play
I distinctly remember the Cavs prevented Zydrunas Ilgauskas from playing for Lithuania in the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of his injury history. His contract was not fully insured, so I guess that was the rub.
[Source](https://www.espn.com/olympics/olybb/news/story?id=3441922)
So you really think that the teams don’t “suggest” that they don’t go? Do you worked somewhere before?
Have you been in a coma for the last ten years
Did you miss the #metoo movement
Do you not know what the power dynamics is in a employee employer relationship
Have you never worked for an employer
Technically my employer can’t not pay me overtime but I know thousands of people that have been screwed out of overtime pay
When your employer tells you not to do something you have very little push back
OP thinks NBA teams follow all the rules. Cute.
All 30 teams are gonna “strongly” suggest certain players not show up for the Olympics,which is why no current Coach or GM should ever be in charge of a National Team because it’s a huge conflict of interest. Steve Kerr as Coach of the Warriors and Team Usa being in a spot where he can influence other national teams(ie usa’s comp) is not kosher. Even if Kerr is being entirely transparent,the mere fact he could even subconsciously on some level sabotage Canada or any other National Team’s chances is a really bad look for the sport.
An entire thread of people moving goalposts
are ppl mad that wiggins didn’t play or something?
cause team canada wouldn’t have won even with wiggins so what’s the issue
I wish we could have held Yao back. China ran him into the ground
@u/ohgosh_thejosh
The exception is if the player is injured. Thus, the warriors made up a wiggins able injury, despite being cleared by team canada medical staff, and season ending 3 months prior.
Warriors DID hold him out. His dream was to play in the Olympics, like his mom did.
NBA teams always follow the rules. right guys??? RIGHT??!
Canada really needed edey vs france – tho its probably complicated for draftees/rookies
I heard tampering was also not allowed.
Somebody really thought Canada wasn’t going to lose to France because this is random as hell
It wouldn’t make any sense for the NBA to be able to stop players from playing for their national teams. It would effectively allow the NBA to handicap any team in order for any other team to have an advantage (or it could be perceived that way). Nobody wants that PR.
“Mutually”
“No pressure”
Yeah I thought it was more on the individual countries to foot the insurance bill. Maybe they didn’t think Wiggins was worth it? I think it couldnt hurt but what do I know
Edit: couldnt******
Laughs in Warriors
They are not allowed, doesn’t mean they don’t though