Olympic Gold is NOT the Same as a Ring

By Muk

We have heard over the past week, a few NBA stars claim that to them, an Olymlic Gold Medal is more important to them than an NBA title. First, Melo made this comment last week and took a decent amount of heat for it, from the media and fans, and I couldn't disagree more with Carmelo. He is looking to win his 3rd gold medal, and become the only man in US men's basketball to do so, while still ringless. I admire Melo's contributions to the US basketball program as much as the next proud American, but at no point should that be the pinnacle of his career. The United States should win EVERY gold medal in basketball, it is ours to lose every Olympics. However, the NBA title is the crown jewel of the basketball world, and you don't play an 82 game season just to have it all for nothing, you start every single season with the goal of winning that ring. The next player to add to Melo's comments was Deandre Jordan, who even said he knew he would probably receive some criticism for the comment. Now is it a red flag on the situation to anyone else that no player who has ever made it past the Conference Finals had ever said anything about Gold being greater than a ring? Do Lebron & Steph feel that way, from their couches this summer? Winning is everything and the only thing in professional sports, and in a sport where 90% of it's popularity comes from regular season games and the playoffs that come along with it, I don't think you'll find anyone who would rather watch Olympic pool play, with the US vs. Argentina, rather than Lebron vs. Steph in the finals. Melo, focus on getting that US team on track and getting them to play as a team and not just a group of individual players, and please let this be the end of the Medal vs. Ring conversation.