I agree entirely with NBA Players Ray Allen and Dwayne Wade, who want to be paid to play in the Olympics. The Olympics is a business. Billions of dollars are spent on broadcasting rights, tickets, advertisements, and merchandise. Why shouldn’t the participants get a cut?

“The biggest thing is now you get no rest,” Wade said. “So you go to the end of the season, (Team USA) training camp is two weeks later. You’re giving up a lot to do it. It’s something you want to do. But it’s taxing on your body. You’re not playing for the dollar. But it would be nice if you would get compensated.”

On Tuesday night, Allen told FoxSports.com that sharing profits from the sale of Olympic game jerseys would be acceptable.

“You talk about the patriotism that guys should want to play for, but you (need to) find a way to entice the guys,” Allen was quoted as saying in the interview. “It’s not the easiest thing in the world if you play deep in the playoffs and then you get two, three weeks off and then you start training again to play more basketball, where it requires you to be away from home and in another country. It’s fun, but your body does need a break.”

Wade supported Allen’s comments.

“I totally agree,” Wade said. “I think (jersey) licensing could be a way … maybe licensing may not be fair because everybody won’t get the same amount. (There) should be some way. But that’s something they’ve got to worry about because this will be my last time around.”

Their time, and time to recuperate during the offseason, is very valuable. Make it worth their while

Update: Wade backs off his earlier statement.

In a statement Thursday, Wade said, “I do not want to be paid to go to the Olympics.” . . .

Wade later tweeted that pride for his country “motivates me more than any $$$ amount.”