Indazone
03-25-2009, 11:17 PM
Luis Scola will serve as captain for Argentina at the FIBA Americas Championship this summer in Mexico.
His country’s basketball confederation (CABB) confirmed over the weekend that the 6ft 9in power forward will both play for Argentina and lead the national side as they attempt to book a place in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
The announcement will come as a surprise to no one with the 28-year-old Scola headed for NBA superstardom like fellow Argentinian Manu Ginobili of San Antonio.
In Sunday’s 87-85 win at San Antonio, Scola had 19 points and 17 rebounds. It was the 27th time this season that he achieved a double-double.
He capped off the magnificent performance against the Spurs by hitting the game-winning shot with just over 11 seconds remaining.
France’s Tony Parker had a chance to steal victory at the end but missed with a runner in the lane, and Scola grabbed the rebound.
Fans and media outside the NBA have known for a long time how special Scola is. His performances with Argentina in international basketball, and with TAU Ceramica in Spain’s ACB and the Euroleague, made him one of the sport’s biggest names.
A gold-medal winner with Argentina at the 2004 Olympics, Scola was the MVP of the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas after leading a depleted national squad to a silver-medal finish and into the Beijing Games.
After a strong rookie campaign in the NBA, Scola’s excellent play helped fire Argentina to a bronze medal in China.
Now, with the Rockets winning even more following the loss of McGrady to a season-ending injury, more and more people are beginning to appreciate the contributions of Scola and one-time Team USA role player Shane Battier.
One Houston Chronicle story paid tribute to Scola after Sunday’s win over San Antonio.
Columnist Fran Blinebury wrote: “It's Scola who has been the foundation from the very first day. It is his hustle, his determination, his professionalism, his perseverance that led to this stirring win on Sunday.
“Through all of the early season turmoil - the injuries, the lineup changes, the disappointing losses - Scola kept his head down and his energy up. And on Sunday afternoon it was fitting that he put the Rockets over the top in their biggest win of the season, maybe their biggest win of several seasons.”
Spurs fans are certainly regretting the club’s decision to trade Scola’s rights to Houston before the 2007-08 campaign, which paved the way for his move to the NBA from TAU Ceramica in Spain.
He is averaging 12.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season.
His Rockets teammate Brent Barry rubbed salt in the wound for San Antonio – a team he played for the previous four years before joining Houston last summer.
After Sunday’s game, veteran Barry called Scola the best power forward in the NBA since the All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.
“Think they could use this guy back here?” Barry said, grinning.
Meanwhile, the two Argentina national team players with the Spurs, Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto, did not figure in Sunday’s game against Scola and the Rockets.
Ginobili is out of action with a sore ankle while Oberto played just one minute.
Another national team star, Carlos Delfino, has recovered from a right shoulder and is playing with BC Khimki again in Russia’s Superleague.
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/ne...29690/arti.html (http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/29690/arti.html)
His country’s basketball confederation (CABB) confirmed over the weekend that the 6ft 9in power forward will both play for Argentina and lead the national side as they attempt to book a place in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
The announcement will come as a surprise to no one with the 28-year-old Scola headed for NBA superstardom like fellow Argentinian Manu Ginobili of San Antonio.
In Sunday’s 87-85 win at San Antonio, Scola had 19 points and 17 rebounds. It was the 27th time this season that he achieved a double-double.
He capped off the magnificent performance against the Spurs by hitting the game-winning shot with just over 11 seconds remaining.
France’s Tony Parker had a chance to steal victory at the end but missed with a runner in the lane, and Scola grabbed the rebound.
Fans and media outside the NBA have known for a long time how special Scola is. His performances with Argentina in international basketball, and with TAU Ceramica in Spain’s ACB and the Euroleague, made him one of the sport’s biggest names.
A gold-medal winner with Argentina at the 2004 Olympics, Scola was the MVP of the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas after leading a depleted national squad to a silver-medal finish and into the Beijing Games.
After a strong rookie campaign in the NBA, Scola’s excellent play helped fire Argentina to a bronze medal in China.
Now, with the Rockets winning even more following the loss of McGrady to a season-ending injury, more and more people are beginning to appreciate the contributions of Scola and one-time Team USA role player Shane Battier.
One Houston Chronicle story paid tribute to Scola after Sunday’s win over San Antonio.
Columnist Fran Blinebury wrote: “It's Scola who has been the foundation from the very first day. It is his hustle, his determination, his professionalism, his perseverance that led to this stirring win on Sunday.
“Through all of the early season turmoil - the injuries, the lineup changes, the disappointing losses - Scola kept his head down and his energy up. And on Sunday afternoon it was fitting that he put the Rockets over the top in their biggest win of the season, maybe their biggest win of several seasons.”
Spurs fans are certainly regretting the club’s decision to trade Scola’s rights to Houston before the 2007-08 campaign, which paved the way for his move to the NBA from TAU Ceramica in Spain.
He is averaging 12.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season.
His Rockets teammate Brent Barry rubbed salt in the wound for San Antonio – a team he played for the previous four years before joining Houston last summer.
After Sunday’s game, veteran Barry called Scola the best power forward in the NBA since the All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.
“Think they could use this guy back here?” Barry said, grinning.
Meanwhile, the two Argentina national team players with the Spurs, Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto, did not figure in Sunday’s game against Scola and the Rockets.
Ginobili is out of action with a sore ankle while Oberto played just one minute.
Another national team star, Carlos Delfino, has recovered from a right shoulder and is playing with BC Khimki again in Russia’s Superleague.
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/ne...29690/arti.html (http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/29690/arti.html)