NBA players and the Olympics

NBA owners, GMs and coaches watch with trepidation as their stars embark on a month-long Olympic journey. Several high-profile players have Olympic hopes on various national teams, even though they were injured during the 2007-08 NBA season.

* Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, USA: Injured right pinkie. The Lakers’ superstar played with a torn ligament in his pinkie. In addition to the grueling Lakers playoff run, Bryant is anchoring the U.S. team. He may need an operation on his finger after the Olympics.

* Lakers’ Pau Gasol, Spain: Ankle and back. Gasol is another Lakers star who plans to play in Beijing. He is optimistic, saying his therapist and strength coach “are going to be with me on the national team, making sure we work on my ankle and my back . . . and get them stronger.”

* Houston’s Yao Ming, Rockets, China: Foot. The 7-foot-6 center is facing pressure to play for his country in China. He had surgery on his left foot after a stress fracture in February and missed the rest of the Rockets’ season. It’s widely expected that he will play for China in August.

* Spurs’ Manu Ginobili, Argentina: Left ankle. The star guard hopes to defend Argentina’s 2004 gold medal, but the ankle injury that hampered him in the playoffs is worse than the original prognosis. He rested his ankle for a month, but Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich isn’t thrilled with the idea of him risking greater damage.

“My concern is that it’s going to get worse,” he told the Associated Press, “if [the ankle] hasn’t changed, I think he should definitely not play in the Olympics.” At the moment, Ginobili plans to play for his country in August.

* Clippers’ Chris Kaman, Germany: Back and ankle: The Clippers center missed 26 of the team’s last 43 games because of injuries.

* Cavaliers’ Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Lithuania: Back. Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry refused permission for his 7-3 center to play for Lithuania this summer. Ferry said: “In light of the inability to insure Zydrunas adequately, we will not permit [him] to play in the 2008 Olympics.” Ilgauskas, 33, has suffered from foot and back problems during his career.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban also voiced disapproval of the Olympic system. His players Jason Kidd, 35, for the U.S., and Nowitzki, for Germany, are scheduled to participate in the 2008 games -- assuming Nowitzki’s team qualifies.

“If the Olympics were truly a nationalistic endeavor built on sport and part of the public domain, I would be willing to take risk and support their playing,” Cuban told the Dallas Morning News. “What I don’t like is that we lie to ourselves and pretend that the Olympians represent our country.”

Next season, his two All-Stars are guaranteed to make a combined $39.4 million, injury or no injury.