Jason Kidd gives away Olympic gold medal

One day after reading about Jason Kidd switching from Nike to Peak, a Chinese company, Jason Kidd is giving away an Olympic gold medal to Elaine Wynn of Wynn Casino.

"Last summer, we stayed at the Wynn for (what seemed like) a lifetime, close to three weeks," Kidd told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "We met at a banquet, we got to talking, and she really understands the game.

"I told her I'd make a deal with her, that if we won the gold medal, I'd give it to her. She thought I was kidding. But I told her I had one already, and the way they treated us at the Wynn, it was the least I could do."

Call me skeptical (I've surely been called worse), but I can't imagine someone treating him so well that he'd give away an Olympic gold medal. There must be more to this...

Jason Kidd dumps Nike for Peak

It's been a big NBA offseason for players turning down mediocre paychecks and no playing time in the U.S. and going overseas where opportunities are more prevalent.

Is Jason Kidd next? OK, he'll still play for the Dallas Mavericks this season, but the footwear he'll sport no longer will have the Swoosh. Before making his trip back to the U.S. after the Beijing Games, Kidd announced he will wear shoes made by Peak, a Chinese company, and ditch Nike. The timing on Kidd's departure is interesting, because the market in the U.S. has been flooded recently with many of his old retro classics. Kidd also spent a brief time sporting Jordans in his career.

One of the things that David Stern will be most noted for his how he helped to internationalize the game of basketball. The European defections so far and the likelihood of a huge increase in defections going forward shouldn't surprise anyone.

I guess the next logical step is foreign sponsorships of NBA players.