Kaman to Germany Puzzling

With the Fourth of July just a day away, the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain stated during an interview that patriotism is when an individual decides to put his country’s needs before his very own. It’s a similar message that John F. Kennedy once told Americans in 1960 when he declared that we should, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

The Olympic Games, which are played every two years, embody this American spirit as numerous athletes choose to spend countless weeks, months, and years, training for the games in the hope of representing the United States of America.

However, Chris Kaman, who was born and raised in the state of Michigan, apparently isn’t too concerned about patriotism and the American spirit, as the Clippers’ center has decided to play for the German national team in the upcoming Beijing Games this August. Kaman is able to compete for Germany since his great-grandparents were German immigrants and he recently achieved German citizenship as well. While most Clipper fans are more concerned with the chance that he’ll get hurt, Kaman’s decision to play for another country is quite troubling to say the least, especially since the announcement comes just a day before American’s birthday, the Fourth of July.

Unlike other NBA stars such as Steve Nash (Canadian) and Yao Ming (Chinese), Kaman is a truly an American at heart, who has never lived in Germany and only recently became a German citizen. Kaman grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, attended Central Michigan University, and has been playing for the Clippers. So, outside of his great-grandparents’ connection to Germany and his German heritage, Kaman really has not affiliation with any other country besides the United States.

If Kaman isn’t really all that German, than why the heck will he be playing with Dirk Nowtizki and company in August? While I obviously don’t know Kaman’s thought process in making this decision, I’d be willing to wager that selfishness is playing a big role in it. Those in defense of Kaman have argued that it’s a great opportunity for him to go play in the Olympics. But it’s important to remember that the whole point of the Olympic Games is for the athletes to represent their own country in international competition.

Kaman, by all means is an American born and bred, and playing for Germany puts his own self-interests (playing in the Olympics) before his country’s. Certainly, nobody should stop Kaman from playing for Germany, but the point of the Olympics is to represent one’s country, which in Kaman’s case is the United States of America.