Play now, pay later Of the 12 players from last year's U.S. Olympic qualifying team, only three made it to the halfway point of the 2003-04 season without significant injury (Mike Bibby, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson). Here's a look at the other nine and their ailments: Player Injury Ray Allen ankle surgery Elton Brand broken foot Nick Collison shoulder Tim Duncan ankle Kenyon Martin ankle Tracy McGrady sore back Jason Kidd knee Allen Iverson knee Jermaine O'Neal sore back, knee tendinitis

The much-maligned U.S. men's basketball team still has a shot at Olympic glory, beginning Thursday with a quarterfinal game against Spain. But whether or not it goes on to bring home the gold, the members of Team USA have done more than risk their pride by playing in these Athens Games. They've risked their bodies. More and more, injuries seem to be cropping up for those who participate in international competitions during the offseason.

Last year several NBA stars who played for the U.S. qualifying team in Puerto Rico went down with injuries during the regular season (see box). Although there was no direct link in most cases, many around the NBA feel the wear and tear from the extra games and practices over the summer might have contributed.

"The human body is not made to play heavy-duty basketball eleven months a year," says agent David Bauman, who advised top client Peja Stojakovic to take a break after several years of international competition and not play for his native Serbia in this year's Games. "It doesn't always show up in October or November either. You'll see a guy break down in January or February with a sprained ankle because his ligaments are loose."

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been an outspoken critic of NBA stars playing in international competitions. Last January he said he believed Mavs stars Steve Nash (Canada) and Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) had suffered slow starts in part because they were tired from having represented their national teams over the summer. He blasted the NBA for letting its most valuable assets get used up in such fashion, calling it "dumb business."

Other NBA executives are more sanguine about the benefits of international play. Jazz owner Larry Miller recently said he would never ask one of his athletes who wanted to represent his country to stay home for the sake of the organization. Bucks GM Larry Harris says he isn't convinced there is a significant fatigue factor. "Most of these guys are going to be playing somewhere anyway," he says. "They know their bodies and how to take care of them."

Whether the injury link is real or imagined, owners and players have legitimate reason to be concerned. NBA teams are covered by insurance policies that would pay the salary of an injured player. But that doesn't make up for the loss of the player on the court. Last week WNBA star Katie Smith suffered a badly sprained knee in a U.S. women's game against China, and had to be carried off the floor. Imagine the reaction in San Antonio if Tim Duncan went down in a similar fashion.

Yet for marketing reasons, the NBA continues to encourage its players to compete in international events. Ever since the '92 Dream Team sparked a wave of foreign interest in the NBA product, David Stern & Co. have seen the Olympics as a vehicle for opening new markets.

In the old days, there was little downside for NBA stars. The games were easy. The stars could sleepwalk to the medal stand. But as Team USA has learned in Athens, the competition is fiercer these days. The players have to log longer minutes and practice harder.

Even if a particular NBA star genuinely wants to represent his country, he has to weigh the fact that he might not come back 100 percent healthy for his NBA employer. Last year Duncan missed several contests early with a sprained ankle and the Spurs wound up in second place in the Midwest Division by a single game. Would an extra month of rest have made a difference for Duncan? Who knows? But Kevin Garnett declined to play in last year's Olympic trials, and he sure looked fresh all season as he went about ending Duncan's reign as two-time MVP.

Bauman says he wouldn't object if owners like Cuban wrote clauses into players' contracts limiting their ability to play in international competitions. At least then the onus of saying no would be off of the player. But he knows it's unrealistic, since players are often under tremendous pressure by their national federations.

Bauman offers the story of another of his clients, Jazz guard Raul Lopez, as a cautionary tale. The Spanish playmaker was drafted by Utah in '01 and was set to sign with the Jazz in the summer of '02. He had even just made a $1.6 million buyout to his club in Real Madrid. But while playing in an exhibition game for Spain's national team that summer, he tore his ACL for the second time in a year. With his Jazz deal not yet signed, he could have found himself in dire financial straits. Fortunately for Lopez, Utah signed him anyway and he was able to rehab the knee and eventually had a successful rookie season last year. When Spain came calling for Lopez this season, Bauman wasn't about to take any chances. "I told him, 'Your career is more important than playing in the Olympics.' I said, 'If you play, I'm prepared to resign as your agent.'" Lopez chose not to play for Spain this time around.

As much as players such as Lopez and Stojakovic might want to represent their countries, Bauman says that they have a responsibility to their employers and their own families as well. That's why all of this controversy over whether to use NBA stars in future Olympics might soon take care of itself as more and more players decide it's simply not worth it.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.