[twelli]

I don't think pick-up games and international competition are the same pair of shoes. If you play with your buddies without anyone watching you can work on various aspects of your game without caring about the outcome of the game. You can adjust the intensity of the game according to your physical fitness and prevent injuries by avoiding certain moves etc. In international competition there a millions of people watching, expecting you to play the best you can, you travel more, you have interviews, and a lot of added stress to compensate. And there are a lot of non-NBA player who will play you extra hard to show that they belong in the NBA as well. Not very healthy, indeed. As I said in the Cuban vs. Brown thread, fix it in the contracts. Let players decide before signing a contract if they need the right to play for their countries. I think the international games should be non-NBA players only. If you want to see the best players playing each other, you can watch them in the NBA for 7~8 months anyway.