Every athlete dreams of making it to the Olympic games for whatever reason.  Honor to self, family and/or nation.  To be the best of the best in your particular sport.

But, according to one athlete, if your going to be the best; why not get paid to be the best?

The NBA’s Dwayne Wade said this yesterday in entering what he is saying to be his last Olympic games.  In the article, besides pro athletes, college athletes should be paid to go to the olympics he said in short. 

“The biggest thing is now you get no rest,” he said, “You’re not playing for the dollar. But it would be nice if you would get compensated.”

He went on to revoke that statement on his twitter today by saying, “motivates me more than any $$$ amount.” about playing for his country.  But I question this.

Why if playing for your country is important, why would you go say that you have to get paid to do so?  Yeah It would be nice, but the Olympics are a honor, not another opportunity to get paid.

You think the Greeks complained about getting paid to be in the Olympics?  No.  You think people competeing in the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece wanted to get paid? No.

If not then, why now?

Yeah people thought about it.  To pay Olympians to compete.  But if your like Dwayne Wade, and your getting paid millions a year to play anyway, why do you need more?  Get over it, those athletes you are playing against are more in need of that money than you do.  Those athletes that are 16-year-old or are 36-years-old are just happy to even be there, let lone worry about a paycheck, endorsements or a picture on a Wheaties box.

quote source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7805591/miami-heat-dwyane-wade-backs-compensation-olympics