Basketball players will do what they love: play basketball.

This summer, Kevin Durant scored 60+ points on the legendary court at Rucker Park in NYC. Kobe Bryant hit a game winner in a high school gym over another NBA star. Carmelo Anthony rented out a college and hosted a pseudo All-Star game for charity. All of this while NBA players are supposed to be resting.

NBA players are not only supposed to be resting, but they should be resting a bit uneasily. It is no secret that the NBA team owners and NBA Players Union are locked in a bitter battle over the future collective bargaining agreement. This fight has in turn, left the players locked out.

Whenever the players are allowed to return to work, they will slide back into the contracts that they had previously. This is where the problem lies.

The players are investments and assets to many people. They have team owners, team employees, agents, sponsors, and dependents all relying on them. The upper echelon players are worth over 8 figures annually. Most of the commentators on the lock out are weary about the players being so active during the work stoppage. You hear things like “they need rest”, “risk of injury”, and “wearing themselves down”.  All of these things are a major business hazard and are legitimate concerns for their future earning potential. While the league is down, players should be doing all they can to remain in top shape but protect themselves for when they start to play professionally again.

But the simple fact is: basketball players love to lay basketball. Most players have made it to the NBA because of hard work and God given talents. But at the core of their success is just a flat out, love for the game. They should be home, working out safely and relaxing. But lucky for some fans, they rather compete for free in small gyms all over the country. If the league doesn’t start on time, many top players have already decided to take their talents overseas and play for team in foreign lands, for less money.

As a former scholarship player ,and a person with relationships with some NBA players, I completely understand how they feel. They want to play. They want to compete. They want to showcase the skills that they have worked hard to acquire. As an aspiring agent, I also understand the worry and concern about these high priced assets. But fans are getting treated to great basketball, and the players are doing what they do best. I think we should hope that the players remain free from injury or other issues, but allow them to do what they do best. Play the game they love.