Illustration by Jamie Stolarski

A billion hearts rested on one man’s foot.

Never was that more true than in February, when Yao Ming went down with a stress fracture in his left foot, endangering his availability for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

“If I cannot play in the Olympics for my country this time, that would be the biggest loss in my career,” Ming said after the injury.

With the Olympics in his backyard for the first time, Yao wasn’t about to let a fracture¹ break his heart. Before the NBA had a global presence, which truly happened only in the past decade, the international stage of the Olympics was the pinnacle of a foreign-born player’s career; missing out on an Olympics was sacrilege. It’s an attitude that is now evolving in American players.

“The nationalism thing tends to be a lot stronger and there’s a lot more pressure in those countries for the best players,” NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter says of international players.

That nationalism is inbred for international players who didn’t know much of the NBA in their youth.

The Argentine national team² sent Buenos Aires residents spilling into the streets in celebration after winning the gold-medal game in 2004. When Andres Nocioni found out he couldn’t play for the 2006 squad due to plantar fasciitis, he published a letter expressing his anger over missing an international competition for the first time.

For the United States, the bigger storylines involve losses, and players’ attendance grabs more headlines than anything else. But American players are afforded that luxury. While Yao doesn’t have much of a choice to say no given the arrangement between the NBA, the Rockets and China, it’s easier for the U.S. because there are so many American-born players available.³ Still, they usually only withdraw for legitimate reasons, such as the length of the season.

“This year, preparation for the Olympics might start in July so if you’re a team that goes to the Finals, you might have two to three weeks off and then you start playing again,” says Ray Allen, who didn’t play in 2004 due to the birth of his child. “It’s not much time to take a vacation or spend time with family. People are quick to criticize, especially the older guys. You’re getting older, you do need the rest.”

Sometimes, a player’s roots affect his decision, like when St. Croix-born Tim Duncan sat out a game against the Virgin Islands. Carlos Boozer understandably missed last year’s qualifying tournament because his son was battling sickle cell anemia. In Athens, players were concerned about their safety.

“I think a few summers ago, there was a lot of terrorism stuff going on so no one really went,”⁴ says Mike Bibby, who chose not to play for the USA team in those Games to give his body a rest during the NBA offseason.

The 2004 Games were a low point for USA Basketball. A third-place finish and chemistry issues caused USA Basketball to change its image and model a program after more successful international teams. Players now are required to give multi-year commitments and there exists a constant pool of 30-plus players to choose from, as opposed to throwing a few All-Stars together for some scrimmages a few weeks prior to competitions.

“Either you buy into the commitment or you’re not going to be a part of the program,” says USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo. “The reason I felt so strongly about that was the fact of the continuity. Basketball is the ultimate team game and the more players can play together, the better they become together.”

Not only does this system build chemistry, it also leads to a camaraderie that makes the experience much more enjoyable for those involved. Jose Calderon, who won a FIBA World Championship with Spain in 2006, can relate to that.

“We have a little family there,” he says of the Spanish national team. “We are really good friends. It’s almost like going on vacation. You’re going to have fun, you’re going to practice, enjoy being with your teammates.⁵ There’s no real pressure on you to go. It’s on you.”

That attitude is percolating on the USA team. Members understand that to be invited is an honor and an obligation, rather than a choice.

“There’s only a few people that get to go out and represent their country,” Joe Johnson says. “For me to be one of the chosen ones, it means a great deal to me.”

Just how much does it mean? When asked if he could only have either an NBA Championship ring or a gold medal, Johnson replied, “C’mon man, don’t put that pressure on me,” before giving an answer that would make the USA proud.

“I definitely want that gold medal.⁶ I think playing for my country is a lot bigger than playing for a team.”