What am I missing here?
If you’re from a country, then that’s your country. So if you’re good enough to represent your country in an Olympic sport, then you go to the Olympics for your country. So why would anyone possibly go to the Olympics and represent a different country, when the whole point of the Olympics is to have athletes from their specific countries compete — in order to see which country is the best at that particular sport?
Becky Hammon, the legendary Colorado State hoopster, is from the United States of America. But she wasn’t good enough to play for the United States of America. So now, she’s Rebekka Hammon, guard for the Russian national team at the London Olympics.
There are others, such as Serge Ibaka, who is from the Republic of Congo but, after a handful of pro seasons in Spain, now has Spanish citizenship. He’s in London. At the last Olympics, Chris Kaman of Grand Rapids, Mich., played basketball for Germany, because his great-grandparents were from there.
And in other sports such as beach volleyball, smaller countries will sometimes nab athletes from larger countries to help earn the smaller country a medal. Yes, in the eyes of these smaller countries, it’s deemed very important for that country to be represented on the medal stand. But what’s the point if the person on the medal stand isn’t even from your country? You basically just bought the medal, instead of groomed a native son or daughter to earn it.
People say: What’s the big deal? For me, I don’t really care how well Russia does in basketball with Hammon on board. For me, it’s the principle of the whole thing.
In regards to Hammon, someone might say, “I mean, I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t hold it against her — she just wants to play some ball and have the Olympic experience.”
To that, I’d say: Right, that’s the whole point. You can “play some ball” all the time, but the Olympics is specifically set up for one thing — to see which country can produce the best athletes (not which country can ACQUIRE the best athletes).
Back in 2008, Hammon told Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post: “Hey, I still love my country. This is basketball. It’s not World War III or anything. … I could have gone home, sat in my recliner and watched the Olympics on TV like everybody else. Or I could come out here and take part.” Hammon says, “The decision, when you put it in those terms, is really pretty easy.”
No! You’re supposed to be in that recliner! You’re not good enough to play for your country. That’s it. That’s the reality. Instead, you wedged yourself into the Olympic Games. She’s approaching the Olympics like she’s some DU junior doing study abroad.
And really, what’s the thrill in representing a country that isn’t yours?
Like, Ibaka wants a chance to win the gold medal. But really, winning a medal for him is like winning an NBA title. It would be awesome, but it’s for an organization he joined, not a country he truly represents. These athletes are free agents. And while free agency is a huge aspect of the business of sports — and, yes, the Olympics has become a huge, money-making business — free agency has no business being part of this.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294, bhochman@denverpost.com or
Visit each weekday near noontime for a serving of dish concerning Colorado’s sporting landscape from a Denver Post sports writer. Care for another helping? Visit .
