QAT / IND – Qatar close campaign with a win

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup): Qatar closed their campaign in the second FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup with an 82-47 win over India on Sunday.

Already out of contention for the title, having lost all their previous three outings, it was Qatar’s first win.

India, winless in the tournament after three games, take on Kazakhstan on Monday.

With Khalid Abdi confined to the sidelines, his ankle in bandage, Omer Salem led the Qatari barrage with 19 points. Ali Ali chipped in with 17 points.

“It’s always good to win,” said Qatar coach Kent Davison.

“What is really crucially about this win is that these players will now break off to play for their clubs. And they would come back to me only in December. So this victory is what will remain in our minds when we reassemble,” he said.

“Having said that, I reiterate that the boys showed tremendous character to even come back to the court after last night’s disappointment.”

“So in all respects, this win has more significance than the score-line,” the American said.

Robinson with 12 points was the leading scorer for India.

“Every game is a learning experience for my team,” said India coach Aleksandar Bucan.

USA - Team USA looking ahead

The Redeem Team brought the gold medal back where it belongs, but true redemption for US Basketball isn’t winning one gold medal; it’s returning to the Olympic Dynasty that we once were. The bad news is that anything less than gold in the World Championships two years from now is a failure, and Team USA is right back to where it was in 2002: searching for answers. The good news is that there is enough young talent in the NBA right now to field a team comparable (if not better) than the Redeem Team.

Let’s start with the holdovers. Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams have all expressed interest in returning and are great starting points to build around. In 2010, Paul and Williams will likely be the two best point guards on the planet and should have no problem handling themselves without the tutelage of Jason Kidd. Dwight Howard is already one of the top centers in the game and will only get better as he refines his offensive skill set. As good as these three were this past summer, they will be infinitely better with two more years experience under their belts.

It would be unbelievable if LeBron, Dwyane, and Bosh could be added to this list of holdovers, but is it realistic? They’ve been with the team since 2004 and will all be free agents in the summer of 2010, so their presence in Turkey is highly unlikely. The same goes for Kobe Bryant, who, at 32, might be unwilling to dedicate an entire summer to USA Basketball. The absence of those four leave glaring holes in this roster that need to be filled. Luckily, we have the talent to do it.

Prediction: Kevin Durant will be a superstar by the time the summer of 2010 rolls around. With his length, range, and handle (and three years experience playing against pros), he will be an impossible matchup for any international player. Like LeBron in 2008, Durant’s versatility will enable him to be the do-it-all guy for Team USA.

Brandon Roy will be going into his fifth season in the League and, at 26, might be one of the leaders of this team. Already one of the best young all-around players in the NBA, his size and efficiency in the backcourt will make it seem like Wade never left.

Finally, Chris Bosh made a living off of putbacks and easy dunks off penetration from the American guards. Greg Oden will be more than capable of that in 2010. Bigger and more athletic than Bosh, Oden will also provide Team USA with more defense, rebounding, and shot-blocking than his predecessor.

The additions of those three players to Team USA seem inevitable, but after that, how will the USA decision-makers round out the roster? Here are the players that they’ll be considering:

Post Players

Team USA was weakest up front, with only two natural post players getting any minutes. Fortunately, LeBron can play any position, and Howard and Bosh were able to avoid foul trouble and stay on the floor. Adding depth down low for 2010 would be a smart move.

Amare Stoudemire: If he can be talked into playing for this team his nastiness and toughness would be a valued asset. Stoudamire's nearly impossible to guard one-on-one ability to knock down mid-range jumpers makes him that much more effective in International ball than Howard.
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Michael Beasley: The committee might be hesitant to consider B-Easy because of perceived character issues, but once he puts those concerns to rest, his versatility and post game will be too much to ignore.

Tyson Chandler: Brings much of the same things that Howard and Oden will. Nevertheless, American fans won’t mind seeing Chandler catch lobs from CP3 on the international stage.

Andrew Bynum: Bynum is a traditional center, bigger than Aldridge and more refined than Oden and Howard. He’s on his way to being one of the best centers in the game, but 2012 seems more realistic than 2010. Team USA will wait to see if he can stay healthy.

LaMarcus Aldridge: In Oden’s absence, Aldridge showed that he is capable of being a number one option in the paint. He played with the Select Team this past summer, and, but 2010, will have developed a chemistry with Oden in Portland that could be valuable for the US in Turkey.

Back Court

With Paul and Williams the veterans of the team, they will need a young protégé or two to mentor just as Jason Kidd did for them.

Derrick Rose: A no-brainer, he combines the speed and unselfishness of Paul with the strength and explosiveness of Williams. He is the total package, the prototypical point guard of the future.

Rodney Stuckey: Though more of a combo guard, Stuckey can run a team like a true point. He showed great poise and determination in the playoffs for Detroit and will only get better. The height and strength to match up with bigger European guards is also a plus.

OJ Mayo: Could be a superstar by 2010 due to his ability to flat-out score. But, on a team surrounded by older, more experienced players, he’ll have the opportunity to show off his skills as a playmaker as well.

These three have all played with the Select Team and are familiar with the US system. Furthermore, they’ve gotten to know the other Select and Senior players, so any combination of these three will fit in seamlessly in 2010.

Wings

This is where Team USA sets itself apart from the rest of the world, with versatile wings that can do anything and everything on a basketball court.

Rudy Gay: Gay broke out last year, averaging over 20 points per game. He’s athletic with improving range on his jump shot and will be more than ready to back up Durant on this team in two years.

Kevin Martin: My early favorite for “3-Point Specialist/ Cheerleader,” he has a chance to get more time than Michael Redd thanks to his athleticism and willingness to play defense.

Josh Smith: Questions about his attitude and jump shot could keep him from consideration, but he’s gotten better every year and will be an asset at both ends of the floor with his world-class athleticism.

Jeff Green: His playmaking skills and unselfishness at the four get him consideration. He plays like a European and could make a serious push for London in four years if he continues to show promise with the Select Team as well as in Oklahoma City.

2010 Projected Depth Chart

PG: Chris Paul/ Deron Williams/ Derrick Rose
SG: Brandon Roy/ Rodney Stuckey/ OJ Mayo
SF: Kevin Durant/ Rudy Gay
PF: Amare Stoudemire/ Michael Beasley
C: Dwight Howard/ Greg Oden

*Look for Bynum, Stuckey, and someone like Jerryd Bayless or Russell Westbrook to replace Howard, Paul, and Williams should they decide to change their minds after the before 2012.

Coach:

Jim Boeheim – Coach K has said repeatedly that his experience as an assistant in ’92 was extremely important to his success as head coach in 2008. Boeheim was Coach K’s assistant this summer, so it makes sense. A college coach, preaching the team over the individual, is the best fit for this team. We saw how successful Coach K was in motivating this group of superstars and getting them to play unselfish basketball. Boeheim should have no problem duplicating that success after witnessing it firsthand.

Nate McMillan or Mike D'Antoni would be solid choices as well.

Planning for 2010 needs to begin now if the United States is to maintain its place of prominence in international basketball. 2008 was a great start, but there is still a lot of work to be done, a lot of decisions to be made. Thankfully, the abundance of young talent in the NBA will make this process that much easier.

Great Britain - Game ready for lift-off in Britain

Basketball in Britain, which has long struggled for headlines because of soccer's dominance and the lack of a unified national team, is finally primed for exposure at Europe's highest level.

For the first time in the 73-year existence of the European Basketball Championships a Britain team, rather than England or Scotland who have qualified before, will rub shoulders with Europe's best sides.

After six home and away qualifiers last month Britain topped their group containing Israel, Bosnia and the Czech Republic to go through to EuroBasket in Poland next September.

The team came out of a 14-year hibernation in 2006. British teams assembled before 1992 had nothing like the talent now available, such as Chicago Bulls leading player Luol Deng.

Since January 2007, it has been run by British Performance Basketball (BPB), a UK Sport-funded body responsible for elite players, set up in the wake of London winning the 2012 Olympics to ensure Britain would actually have a team there.

Deng feels the game in Britain is now on an upward curve.

"From the years before, there was an improvement in the attendance and fanbase in Britain, plus it was great being able to step out in London for the first time," he told Reuters by e-mail from Bosnia.

Add to the equation a burgeoning number of participants, a national league gathering strength again after years in the doldrums and the NBA's decision to move its European headquarters to London in 2007, and it is easy to see why leading figures in the British game are excited.

GREAT FUTURE
"The future is so great for the sport in Great Britain," Ron Wuotila, performance manager at BPB, told Reuters by telephone from Bosnia.

"In all honesty I hope people in Britain would spend more of their time talking about what's possible and not why we're not playing in front of 18,000 people. What we achieved just helps all of that," he added.

Coach Chris Finch, who has been involved since the team's rebirth in 2006, was thrilled by last month's campaign.

"Looking from where we came it is an amazing achievement by everyone who has been involved in some capacity, and it's nice for the British public to have something to rally around," he said in an e-mail.

Officials hope this exposure for basketball will help the sport to overcome the barriers that have held it back.

For instance, during the home qualifiers none of the venues were basketball specific and Wuotila says this needs to change.

"When I travel through Europe I encounter multiple facilities built for basketball. We suffer from that. The O2 arena in London is a perfect venue but you have to dress it up, you can't just turn the key and walk in," he said.

"Across Britain we need more places that clubs and schools can call home."

John Amaechi, a 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist with England, told Reuters that the British team's success was outstanding given the lack of facilities.

"These people have had to work harder because there isn't a gym or a quality coach around every corner," he said.

In England alone between 80,000 and 100,000 children aged 11-15 play basketball, making it the second largest team sport for the age group.

The key area to address, however, is unity.

"WORK TOGETHER"
In December, an independent chairman will be appointed to head British Basketball, which will then be recognised as the nation's official body by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), simplifying the amalgamation of BPB and the British Basketball Federation which happened in January 2007.

Former BPB chairman Alistair Gray, who was named chairman of British Swimming last week, said last month that bolstering the national league should be a priority.

"The underlying challenge is to strengthen the league in Britain and it will take some years before we achieve that," he told Reuters by telephone.

Founded in 1987, the British Basketball League (BBL) is recovering from attendance and coverage losses following the management's decision in 2001 to leave Sky Sports and join ITV digital, which collapsed in 2002. However, games were televised on Setanta during the 2007-08 season.

BBL chairman Paul Blake told Reuters that working in partnership was the key if basketball was to take off in Britain, as it did in Spain after the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

"Sport England has looked at the sport in recent years and said it is fractious," he said by telephone from Newcastle.

"Right now they're looking at it and saying it is getting its act together, and anything that comes in now to upset that current position is going to hurt the sport," he added.

With talk of a nationwide grassroots tournament next May organised by the 20-month-old BBA (British Basketball Association), who in time also hope to start a national league to rival the BBL, Gray shares Blake's wish for unity.

"The last thing you want is people fighting and then producing two mediocre leagues. My plea to them all is 'Guys just work together would you?' Swallow your pride and your ego and just get on with developing athletes in winning teams."

ESP/ARG – Gutierrez carries Olympic confidence into new campaign

MADRID (ACB) – He did not make many headlines, but for a while in Argentina's Olympic semi-final against the United States, Juan Gutierrez was arguably the best player on the floor.

After the South Americans fell behind by 21 by the end of the first quarter, and with Manu Ginobili having been lost for the rest of the Olympics with an ankle injury, Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez looked at his reserves and 2.05m forward Gutierrez delivered big style.

He scored six points and pulled down three rebounds in eight second-quarter minutes as Argentina cut the deficit to just six late in the first half.

The Americans would go on to win the game and the gold medal, while Argentina bounced back to defeat Lithuania in the bronze-medal game.

Gutierrez is playing as if the Olympic experience has given him a huge shot of confidence.

He had 11 points and five rebounds in Granada’s season-opening triumph over Bruesa and against Real Madrid on Thursday, Gutierrez had 22 points and six boards but his team fell just short in their upset bid, losing 81-80.

Spain’s Real Madrid captain Felipe Reyes had 22 points as well for the winners.

In other ACB games on Thursday, Unicaja Malaga following up their 17-point trouncing of Real Madrid with a 91-60 thrashing of Cajasol in Seville, and defending ACB champions Tau Ceramica improved to 2-0 with an 80-67 win over Ricoh Manresa.

Reyes: 'This Is Not The End, Spain Ambitious'

Felipe Reyes has a message for anyone who thinks that Spain may be losing some of their hunger for success ahead of next year's EuroBasket in Poland.

The Spanish have settled for silver medals in each of the past two summers (EuroBasket 2007 and 2008 Olympics) after winning gold at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, and after this year's Beijing Games, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Pau Gasol indicated he may not play next year although that is a decision he will make after the NBA season.

Reyes, the captain of Real Madrid and one of his team's star performers in China, said: "This is not the end because we are ambitious and we still haven´t conquered gold at a EuroBasket which is our next aim.

"People should be calm because we are young and we still have a lot to give to the national team until they (people) get tired of us."

Spain have some very important decisions coming up, with the most crucial being which man will take the reins of the national team.

The federation parted with Pepu Hernandez and replaced him with Aito Garcia Reneses, but he stepped down after Beijing to become coach of Unicaja Malaga.

Another big issue is the captaincy. Which player is best suited to replace Carlos Jimenez not only in the squad, but as captain. Reyes would appear to be a strong contender to lead the team, as well as Jose Calderon.

In terms of playing personnel, the Spanish are as deep and talented as ever, especially at the guard spots where Garcia Reneses had a difficult time finding playing time for each member of the backcourt.

A challenge that will face the new coach will be how to give the players enough playing time so they can show their worth.

This summer, Calderon, Ricky Rubio, Juan Carlos Navarro, Rudy Fernandez, Raul Lopez and Berni Rodriguez were all in the squad and each had to play less than they are accustomed to with their clubs.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Sergio Rodriguez did not even make the team though he is almost certain to return to the fray and Pamesa Valencia's emerging star Victor Claver will make the senior team soon.

Reyes does not think that will be a problem because there is so much camaraderie in the group.

"In our national team everyone knows his role," Reyes said.

"It´s easy to adapt to it because the players in the team are great individuals and that makes it easier for anyone to adapt. There´s a lot of unity and in that atmosphere you don´t complain about who plays more or less, that hasn´t happened so far. We all look forward to joining the national team to play with our friends, because it is two months of paid holiday!

"The great atmosphere comes from the past national teams and veteran players who were the ones that made it easier for all of us to adapt to the team. We were young in the EuroBasket in Turkey and thanks to them, we were able to adapt quickly and create a team. We have continued that tradition."

KAZ / QAT - Qatar let Kazakhstan off the hook

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup): Kazakhstan posted a 77-76 win against Qatar in the opening game of the FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup on Thursday.

Trailing 39-52, midway through the third quarter, Qatar fought back gallantly to go ahead 76-74, when Hammam Ismail struck from inside the paint with about three minutes left in the game.

But the rest of the duration saw Qatar falter in otherwise regulation attempts and go barren in the final three minutes of the game.

Vsevolod Fadeikin converted a free-throw and Alexander Tyutyunik struck from the wing to give Kazakhstan the win.

Qatar's Erfan Saeed led the scoring for the game with 27 points and was adjudged the MVP.

Anton Ponomarev scored four three-pointers in his team-high 21 points for Kazakhstan.

"I think beating an opposition like Qatar was very important for the confidence of my boys," Kazakhstan coach Vitaly Strebkov said.

Kazakhstan had lost 69-78 in the William Jones Cup 2008, the last time the two had met.

"I'm happy with the result, but definitely not happy with the way we let them fight back a big deficit," Strebkov said.

With little to choose between them - in terms of enthusiasm as well as efficiency - both Kazakhstan and Qatar went neck and neck for the entire first half.

Qatar led the first quarter 16-13, but Kazakhstan fought back with a 22-18 advantage to close the first half 35-34 ahead.

The tone of the game seemed to continue in the early stages of the third quarter.

But Tyutyunik, who last month spearheaded Kazakhstan to the silver medal in the FIBA Asia U18 Championship, scored 10 of his game's 17 points to give Kazakhstan a 52-39 lead. That was the largest difference for either team in the game.

"I think the boys got a little complacent at that stage," Strebkov said.

"Our defense began to slacken," he added.

"I'm glad they missed too many in the final minutes," Strebkov heaved a sigh of relief.

"I think I can be proud of the way the boys fought back from that deficit," Qatar coach Kent Davison said.

"But I think we made too many mistakes in the final moments and couldn't seal the issue," the American said.

"Defeats in tournaments like these only toughen out the team for the bigger battles," Davison said.

"Let's not forget we have come here without three of our experienced players. So it's time for those on the wing to get the experience. Such defeats are normal in the learning process.

Scores

Kazakhstan 77 (Anton Ponomarev 21, Alexander Tyutyunik 17, Rustam Yargaliev 14) bt Qatar 76 (Erfan Saeed 27, Mansour Elhadary 14). Quarterwise scores: 13-16, 35-34, 62-59.

KUW / IND - Kuwait rally to down India

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup) - Hosts Kuwait rode on Abdulaziz Mohammed's MVP performance to beat India 81-69 in the second FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup on Thursday.

Mohammed returned a game-high 23 points and got splendid support from Abdullah Alsarraf and Ahmad Almutairi.

Alsarraf succeeded three times from behind the arc for his 16 points to kick off Kuwait's rally in the second quarter. Almutairi accounted for 15 points, including four three-pointers, to seal the issue in the fourth.

Robinson, coming back to the National Team after a long gap, led the scoring for India with 14 points.

The 200cm center struggled initially to find his bearings, but came into his own in the second half, scoring 12 of his 14 points.

India began rather confidently, with Vijobi Vakkachan leading the scoring to take his team 20-10 ahead at the end of the first quarter.

Kuwait found their rhythm midway through the second quarter, began to narrow down the lead as Alsarraf led a 19-7 run to put the hosts ahead (29-27) for the first time in the game.

India managed to hold on to a 31-30 lead at the end of the first half, but Kuwait had regained their composure.

The two teams shared the honors in the third quarter, which ended locked at 53.

Kuwait found the much needed support from the partisan crowd at the Al Qadsia court to boost their chances, with Almutairi sinking two three pointers in the dying moments.

"Although we won, I'm really not satisfied with the way we played," Kuwait coach Zoran Kreckovic said.

"May be it was the first game nervousness. I hope they improve from here," he said.

"I think the final five minutes of the second quarter and the first five minutes of the third proved crucial in the end," India coach Aleksandar Bucan said.

"Once they got back into the game, they just rode on the home support," he said.

Scores

Kuwait 81 (Abdulaziz Mohammed 23, Abdullah Alsarraf 16, Ahmed Almutairi 15) bt India 69 (Robinson 14, Trideep Rai 14). Quarterwise Scores: 10-20, 30-31, 53-53.

QAT - We definitely want to win at a high level: Davison

KUWAIT (FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup): Talking to Kent Davison is an experience by itself.

The affable American with an impressive coaching career spanning more than 35 years at various levels of the sport took over as the Head Coach of the Qatari National Team, an assignment he describes as "challenge and fun going hand in hand."

The Gulf powerhouse won back to back bronze medals at the FIBA Asia Championship in 2003 and 2005 and bagged a creditable silver at home - behind China - in the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

But much to the disappointment of the fans, Qatar finished a mere seventh at last year's FIBA Asia Championship at Tokushima.

The disappointment Davison hopes to erase.

"We are going through a transition period in Qatar basketball," the 57-year-old former USBL Coach of the Year told S Mageshwaran of FIBA Asia, on the eve of the FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup, which starts in Kuwait on Thursday.

"I think anytime you have a change in coaches and a change in philosophies you are going to go through a period that will be hard," he added.

"We are fortunate that we have some players that are very dedicated to making this program the best that it can be. I am not sure how we will do as we prepare for official tournaments but I know it will not be for the lack of hard work on the players' part," he said in an elaborate interview.



Excerpts

Q: How has been your experience with a Gulf team, especially in the background of your rich experience in D-League and with Fort Wayne?

A: I spent 7 years in the D-League and was very fortunate to have players like Mikki Moore (of Sacramento Kings), Matt Carroll (of Charlotte Bobcats) and Will Bynum (of Detroit Pistons) to name a few, but the players we have in Qatar are just as hard working and fun to be around as the ones we had in the D-League. The entire basketball federation and the Qatar Olympic Committee have made our stay to this point very nice. I enjoy going to the gym for practice everyday and I am excited to come to Kuwait to see how much carry-over we will have from the practices to the games.

Q: What are your thoughts on a tournament like FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup?

A: I really feel that a tournament like this is very important for us in Qatar this year. As a new coach in FIBA Asia, it gives me a chance to see some of the teams that we will be facing next year in the qualifying tournament. I wish that more teams were participating in the tournament.

Q: Do you think this tournament is the first step towards a good performance in next year's FIBA Asia Championship (three teams from there will qualify for the 2010 World Championship)?

A: We hope it is a step in the right direction. We are looking more to see what we will be able to do in the way of offense and defense. What things will work for us against some of the teams that will be in the tournament next summer. We also want to see what things we will have to stress to the team as we continue to prepare for the Asian Championships. Do we want to play at a high level, for sure and do we want to win, most definitely.

Q: Do you think the competition at Kuwait this year will be good enough?

A: Yes, I feel that any time you get teams together that are representing their country, the competition will be very competitive. I know some of the quality teams won't be there, but the teams that decided to come will play extremely hard.

Q: What is the team you have brought?

A: I think our team will be a mixture of youth and experience. We have an 18 year old point guard in Mansour Elhadary, who will be experiencing his first official tournament. I am really excited to see how he handles it. We also have some players who have played for a number of years, but not with me as their head coach. That will be good to see how they respond to me in an official tournament.

Q: Please assess your prospects at the tournament?

A: I'm not sure how we will handle playing in an official tournament. I like how we have practiced and played in the last few weeks, but it will be a lot different playing these types of teams. We look forward to the challenge.

Q: What has been your preparatory program for the tournament?

A: We played in the Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei, the King Abdulla in Jordan and played three Philippines teams at home this summer. I think we got a good idea of our team.

Q: Can you elaborate on the strengths of your team at this point?

A: I like how we run the floor, I like our intensity, and I like how we share the ball and try to defend in the way in which we have been teaching them.

Q: What are the specific areas you have been concentrating in your preparatory program?

A: I think two areas concern us as we prepare:
1) turnovers, we are very careless with the ball. 2) Our bench, we are very thin in some positions.

Q: Who do you think is the major competition to your campaign in the tournament?

A: I have seen Jordan play three times this summer and I really like how they play as a team.

Q: Are you missing any key player/s due to injuries etc?

A: We are missing a few players that will be with us next summer. All three have had surgery in the past few weeks. They will be fine and will help us a lot next summer. This is what I like about coming to play; we will have to have some other players contribute if we are going to be successful.

FIN – Möttölä draws curtain on impressive career

HELSINKI (EuroBasket Qualifying) – Finland coach Henrik Dettmann has heaped praise on Hanno Möttölä following the big man’s decision to retire as a basketball player at the age of 32.

Möttölä made the surprise announcement after helping the Finns preserve their EuroBasket Division A status with a fourth-place finish in Group A in this summer’s qualifying campaign for next year’s Final Round in Poland.

The finish, in fact, has kept alive Finland’s faint hopes of reaching Poland as they will be among six teams in the Additional Qualifying Round.

“It's been a great honor coaching a player like Hanno,” Dettmann said.

“I am happy that I have been able to work closely with such a great player.

“There are only a few players who would turn down the Euros that are still available for Hanno in European competitions. Some might question his decision, but it just shows that his values are somewhere else.”

Those values, Möttölä says, are with his family.

He has a four-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son.

“I have been planning on retiring for a while now and coming home with my family after spending 12 years abroad,” he said.

“It was a good time to make the decision.

“I want to focus on my family for now.”

Dettmann, in his first spell as Finland coach, called Möttölä into the national team at the tender age of 18 and took him to the 1995 EuroBasket in Athens.

That decision caused quite a stir, indicating that Möttölä was a player who was going to have a special career.

The game against Hungary on September 20, his last, was a victory for Finland. It was also his 100th with the senior national side.

“I think Hanno's story is one of a young kid loving every kind of competition and maturing into a great athlete who dedicated his last playing years for his national team and his home country,” Dettmann said.

Möttölä was the first-ever Finn to reach the NBA and he was also the first from his country in the Euroleague, not to mention the first Finland player to compete in that competition’s Final Four.

A record eight times Möttölä was voted Basketball Player of the Year in Finland.

Even before his professional days, Möttölä raised eyebrows in America.

He played college basketball at Utah under Rick Majerus and in 1998 reached the NCAA Final Four, even making it to the title game.

Möttölä made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with Utah.

His statistics suggested that he could have been an impact player for years to come for Finland.

Möttölä averaged 11.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in this summer’s campaign which saw Finland hand Serbia their only defeat in Division A.

But he has decided to write a new chapter in his life.

There will be, he says, another chapter about basketball.

“Although my playing days are over, I will be involved somehow later on,” he said.

“I want to give back to Finnish basketball. When and how - that will be determined in the future.”

ESP – Rubio to have minor operation on wrist

BADALONA (ACB) – Spain’s 17-year-old point guard at the Olympics, Ricky Rubio, is to have minor surgery on the wrist injury that sidelined him for DKV Joventut’s pre-season and their ACB opener at Regal Barcelona.

The arthroscopy will allow doctors to discover if Rubio has suffered ligament damage. They will then consider what the next step in his recovery should be.

Rubio had a sensational season last year for DKV, helping the club win the Copa del Rey and the ULEB Cup on his way to being voted to the ACB’s Ideal Quintet.

He played on Aito Garcia Reneses’ Spain national side at the Olympics, helping the team win a silver medal.

DKV need their talisman now more than ever following the departure of fellow Spain international Rudy Fernandez to the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.

They suffered a 95-77 defeat at Barcelona.

PHI – Toroman leaves Iran on good terms, pens Philippines deal

MANILA (Olympics/FIBA Championship) – Rajko Toroman guided Iran to their first berth at the Olympics.

Now the Serbian will attempt to do the same with the Philippines after being handed a three-year deal to serve as their national team project director.

The coach leaves former side Iran with the blessings of the country’s basketball federation.

“He is a good friend, good colleague and a good coach and he did a great job in our country,” said Mr. Mahmoud Mashhoun, the president of Iran’s federation, to FIBA.com.

“As his contract expired after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, it was his right to sign a contract with others and I wish him all the best on his new assignment.”

Toroman’s tenure with Iran had a lot of highs and lows both on and off the court.

He coached Iran to a surprise gold medal at the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship to earn a spot at the Beijing Games but not long after, Aidin Bahrami, one of the team’s best players and the brother of captain Samad, died in a car crash.

Toroman and Iran spoke of their determination to honor Aidin’s memory by showing hard work and determination on the court and they met that aim.

A busy summer saw them compete in warm-up tournaments in Italy and Slovenia, and also with the help of FIBA take an historic trip to the United States to practice and take part in the Rocky Mountain Review, a summer league for NBA teams.

In Nanjing, they took part in the FIBA Diamond Ball and upset Serbia before travelling to Beijing for the Olympics.

The executive director of the governing body for basketball in the Philippines (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) Noli Eala said to the country’s newspaper website the Inquirer.net that Toroman’s job will be to put together a program.

"We will study his program and decide what to do after that," Eala said.

Concerns have been expressed in the country’s media over the concern that Toroman, a foreigner, might coach the Philippines.

Eala said: "We are not discounting the possibility of Toroman coaching but all that will come after we see his program. Why don't we give change a chance?”

ARG/RUS – Argentina’s Delfino on the mend

BUENOS AIRES (Olympics) – BC Khimki’s Argentina guard Carlos Delfino will be sidelined for at least two more weeks as he continues his recovery from a broken finger.

The 6ft 6in shooting guard had a magnificent Olympics with the South Americans, averaging 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds to help them capture a bronze medal, but while preparing for the new season with the Russian club he got hurt.

"The doctors have told me I will be able to return to play in a couple of weeks after fracturing a finger in my left hand,” he said on Argentina’s Basketball Federation website.

Delfino played in Italy with Fortitudo Bologna and joined the Detroit Pistons after the 2004 Olympics, going on to spend four years in the NBA.

He had his best season in North America last year with Toronto, averaging 23.5 minutes per game, but Delfino turned down a chance to remain with the Raptors after receiving a lucrative offer from Khimki.

"To have returned to European basketball was no surprise because I have played in the past there,” he said.

“I know the style of the game and what the European fans want.

"The expectations at Khimki are very high with the club executives having acquired several international stars like (Russia’s Vitaly) Fridzon and (Spain’s Jorge) Garbajosa.

"I am already in Moscow and it´s an enigmatic city. The language is a very important barrier but fortunately, I speak English and almost all my teammates and team managers also speak the language.

"I have a private chauffer named Alex, and he speaks good English. He is my great guide to the city and I´m in his hands!"

Carlo Recalcati and Giampiero Ticchi are to remain in charge of the men's and women's national teams of Italy, respectively.

The FIP said in a statement that both men had been nominated to continue as coaches by Italy Basketball commissioner Dino Meneghin.

Italy basketball great Meneghin recently took temporary charge of the FIP following the resignation of president Fausto Maifredi and has been a long-time supporter of Recalcati.

He recently told legabasket.it: "He (Recalcati) is a person that I admire, a great man that knows the system from A to Z. For me, he is indispensable and I hope that he will be alongside me in these months."

Recalcati led Italy to bronze at EuroBasket 2003 and silver at the Athens Olympics and has been at the helm of the Azzurri ever since. The team did not meet their aim this summer of reaching next year's EuroBasket in Poland, but it will take part in the Additional Qualifying Round against France, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium and Finland.

The six teams will battle for one spot that is still available for next year's Final Round.

Ticchi took charge of the Azzurre before this summer's EuroBasket Women 2009 qualifying campaign.

He will guide them in January's Additional Qualifying Round for the EuroBasket Women.

The Italians will battle Ukraine, Bulgaria, Belgium, Croatia and Germany for two places that are still up for grabs for the Final Round that is to be staged in Riga, Latvia.

GBR – Mensah-Bonsu: "I’ll think about Britain, Poland '09 a little closer to the time"

BADALONA (EuroBasket 2009) – Pops Mensah-Bonsu found the going tough in his attempt to make it in the NBA after leaving George Washington University but don’t think the British big man has abandoned his goal of playing in America.

“Ever since I was with Dallas, I’ve always wanted to go back to the NBA,” the 25-year-old said.

“I was hoping to do so this year but Spain was a better option financially and I was so excited to go there, so hopefully I will put myself in a better position.”

As a pro in America in the 2006-07 campaign, he spent most of his time with the Dallas Mavericks’ NBDL team, the Fort Worth Flyers.

Though he did play some minutes in the NBA, Mensah-Bonsu felt it best to return to Europe to increase his time on the court. He joined Benetton Treviso last summer and the 2.06m power forward/center was solid if unspectacular.

At the end of the 2007-08 campaign, something most unusual happened.

He was offered the chance to play for Spanish side CB Granada in their final game, a contest they had to win against Tau Ceramica to avoid relegation from the ACB.

After getting his release from Benetton, Bonsu joined Granada and utterly dominated against Tau, the team that would go on to win the Spanish title, with 22 points and nine rebounds.

Granada won that game 89-87 and both fans and teammates hugged Mensah-Bonsu on the court as they celebrated their top-flight survival.

This summer, before playing for Great Britain, he decided to remain in Spain and signed with DKV Joventut, the team that won the Copa del Rey and ULEB Cup earlier this year.

Once with the Brits, Mensah-Bonsu was immense, helping them win four of their first five games to clinch first place in Group D to seal qualification for next year’s EuroBasket in Poland.

He finished as the leading shot-blocker in Division A with an average of 1.8 per game, and Mensah-Bonsu was second in rebounds at 10 per game.

The star also provided plenty of offense with an average of 12.2 per contest.

Mensah-Bonsu is a high-flying artist, so it was no surprise over the weekend in Zaragoza that he took part in the dunking contest on behalf of DKV.

“It has been an easy adjustment for me, although I came late to join the team I was able adjust to the new system, new players and new surroundings,” he said.

“The players, coaches and administration have embraced me nicely and have made my time here so far very comfortable.

“I am looking forward to playing in this new league. It is an exciting, fast league with a high level of competition.”

At DKV, Mensah-Bonsu will be able to play alongside the Spain national team point guard Ricky Rubio, a teenager who was voted to the ACB’s Ideal Quintet last season.

The ACB is widely viewed at the top league outside of the NBA, so Mensah-Bonsu is hoping to use it as a launch pad back to America.

“I feel that if you are able to play well in this league you can be successful anywhere,” he said.

He is going to be playing a lot of big games in the ACB, and for his country at next year’s EuroBasket in Poland where Britain are going to go up against world champions Spain and a host of other quality opponents.

“Although the summer went well, I have to put it behind me for now and concentrate on the goal at hand,” he said. “I will start thinking about Britain and Poland '09 a little closer to the time.

“There are a few teams in the mix in the ACB this year with the contenders being us, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Tau Ceramica, and Unicaja Malaga, so we all want to get off to a strong start.”

Ivkovic Puts Serbia Summer Into Perspective

Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic wouldn't have agreed to take the national team reins earlier this year for the second time in his career if he hadn't believed in his players.

There were skeptics because the Blues, one of the traditional powerhouses in Europe, had a very young team but Ivkovic felt his squad would be good enough to survive a very tough Group A in EuroBasket Division A and they proved him right by winning seven of their eight qualify games to finish first and book a place in next year's Final Round in Poland.

"Since the beginning, I believed in this selection of players," Ivkovic said.

"And I believed that we'd have a good start.

"For the first time in my career I've taken the same job for second time, and my only reason was that I believed in players."

Nenad Krstic, Milos Vujanic, Zoran Erceg and Novica Velickovic were all excellent but really, no player stood out over the others.

The young Serbians had such great balance and played like a team that really, no player stood out.

They swept Italy, the team deemed to be their biggest rivals in Group A, Bulgaria and Hungary while splitting two games with a very good Finland team.

Serbia, who played in front of big crowds at the Belgrade Arena when at home, secured their spot with a 92-66 home triumph over the Finns on September 17.

"After our second game with Finland, when we qualified for EuroBasket 2009 with one more game still to go," Ivkovic said, "(that's when) our preparation for the European Championship started."

Ivkovic now says it's important for everyone, including the fans, the federation and the players, to understand what this summer means.

"We've done what we've expected to do, we've qualified for European Championship," he said.

"But now, I hear comments like "great success", "fantastic" and so on. Well, we didn't achieve anything spectacular, there was nothing special. We've just - qualified. And that's all, for now. The toughest part of our journey is ahead of us, and our goal is to qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. So, we are just at the start."

If Ivkovic wants his charges to mull over anything before next year's tournament in Poland, it's this.

"We have to be ready no matter who our rivals will be there, and to be ready when the right moment comes," he said.

"In sports, you must work constantly."

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Costa Is Clear About Portugal's Potential

It takes a special type of player to turn in the kind of performance José Costa did this summer with Portugal - one year after the huge disappointment of missing out on a EuroBasket that he had dreamed of playing in one day.

After a bit-part role in qualifying games under former boss Valentyn Melnychuk, Costa didn't make the team that competed in the Final Round in Spain last year.

Costa was included in Moncho Lopez's squad for this year's qualifiers, though.

After playing and failing to score in two of Portugal's first three Division A games - all defeats - Costa did his best imitation of a super hero and helped rescue his national team.

Instead of being on a team that suffered relegation, Costa sparked the side in the last two games and helped them reach next year's EuroBasket Additional Qualifying Round.

He smiled in vindication as he walked off the court following the 93-92 win over Latvia that leveled Portugal's Group B record to 3-3.

Several days after the achievement, Costa, who had 19 points in a win over FYR of Macedonia and 29 in the triumph over Latvia, admitted to Basketball World News: "After the EuroBasket 2007, I really considered retiring from international competition.

"This summer, due to the absence because of family reasons of (Portugal's Euro2007 playmaker) Filipe da Silva, coach Moncho explained to me that he needed a player with my qualities.

"I found that attitude very humble, and I accepted it.

"He explained what he wanted from me, and that was enough to show the coach‘s ability to communicate and changed my mind."

Melnychuk left Portugal to coach his native Ukraine, and they won just once in six games.

The Portuguese looked as if they might be even worse after opening the qualifying campaign with three losses in a row.

"We took some time to assimilate the coach's philosophy. When we did it, we responded well with three victories," Costa said.

"We never considered relegation."

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EuroBasket 2009 - Meneghin Pleads With NBA Trio To Play For Italy

Italy basketball legend Dino Meneghin has made an emotional appeal to Andrea Bargnani, Marco Belinelli and Danilo Gallinari to play for the Azzurri in next year's Additional Qualifying Round for the EuroBasket.

Injury prevented New York Knicks rookie Gallinari from taking part this summer while NBA commitments with Toronto and Golden State, respectively, for Bargnani and Belinelli stopped each from joining.

Without their three rising stars, Italy managed to win just four of their eight qualifying games in Group A and that was only good enough for a third-place finish behind Serbia and Bulgaria.

Meneghin, who was this week appointed Italian Basketball Federation commissioner in the wake of Fausto Maifredi's unexpected resignation as president, told Legabasket.it: "We´ve had a huge problem this summer with qualification. We missed a lot our three NBA players while we had other injured players.

"My hope, my certainty that I can offer at this time, is that the players across the Atlantic understand the dramatic moment of our national team that really needs to take part in the EuroBasket 2009.

"Their presence is crucial and necessary. In this case I make their appeal to their team spirit and their love of the national team, many times said and read on the newspapers but that now needs to be shown on the court.

"Once called, they must respond to the call-up of the national team, of coach (Carlo) Recalcati, things that have been done by all the great players of the NBA.

"They should be with us so that the national team, which belongs to everyone, can go to the EuroBasket and regain the prestigious place where it belongs."

Italy will take on France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Finland and Portugal in the Additional Qualifying Round with just one place for the EuroBasket up for grabs.

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UKR – Gladyr shows great promise, needs consistency

KIEV (EuroBasket Qualifying) - Ukraine’s Serhiy Gladyr discovered a very hard lesson this summer.

No matter how good you are, or how many times you have achieved great things at junior level, nothing is as tough as playing for the senior national team.

One of the most talented guards to emerge in Ukraine in the recent years, Gladyr earlier this summer set FIBA’s youth competitions record by making 11 three-pointers in a U20 European Championship game against Lithuania.

With the big fellas, those coached by Valentyn Melnychuk, it was a different story.

Other than a scoring eruption in their penultimate EuroBasket qualifying game against France, Gladyr barely caused a ripple.

“It’s so hard to adjust…” he said.

“Sometimes, even my hands are shaking. I am told not to think about a shot, to just fire it, but on this team I have found myself contemplating whether to shoot or pass. Sometimes I hear the more experienced teammates criticize me and it makes it hard to relax.

“This stopped in Mykolaiv because the coach allowed me to shoot as much as I wanted. But here, I can sometimes get a negative reaction from the coach after making a mistake.”

Gladyr really didn’t make his mark with Ukraine’s national team this summer, save one dazzling performance in Le Mans against France.

With his team in dire need of a spark, Gladyr scored 12 points in a 16-5 run that reduced his team’s deficit to just one in the final quarter.

During the scoring spurt, Gladyr drained three consecutive three-pointers using his trademark “I-don’t-care-who’s-guarding-me” style.

That flashy approach was something that his fans were used to, but had been deprived of seeing at senior team level until he got hot against France.

Ukraine, however, couldn’t quite get over the hump and lost 87-83.

Before the France game, Gladyr said, he just could not find a comfort zone.

“I didn’t feel confident shooting in the defender’s face at this level because the coaches used to scold me for doing it in scrimmages and this made me scared,” he said.

“But they told me it’s better to shoot over a defense than to turn the ball over so I tried and it worked. I felt it and kept shooting.”

Ukraine, throughout their qualifying campaign, had reason to think they had the makings of a very good team but the players couldn’t perform at their best for 40 minutes.

They ended up with a solitary victory against France at home.

Their summer ended in a resounding thud at home to Belgium, who beat Ukraine to earn a place in the Additional Qualifying Round.

Ukraine fell into the Relegation Round dogfight that will be staged next summer which also includes Hungary, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

Who knows? If the team has a good preparation, and perhaps the exciting prospect Gladyr finds some consistency and grows more confident, then maybe Ukraine may just avoid dropping into Division B.

ARG/USA/FRA – Spurs count their blessings over Manu

SAN ANTONIO (Olympics/NBA) – As unusual as it may sound for San Antonio Spurs fans, the ankle injury that knocked Manu Ginobili out in the first quarter of Argentina’s Olympic semi-final against the United States was probably a blessing in disguise for the NBA team.

While the injury kept Argentina’s most dangerous player off the floor at the worst possible time in Beijing, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich freely admitted this week: “Had he not hurt it in the Olympics, he probably would have done it 15, 25, 35 games into the season.”

Popovich, who was speaking to the San Antonio Express Newspaper, added: “It could be a blessing that he's gotten operated on. They've gone in there and cleaned things out. His ankle will be in better shape than it's been in years, I would imagine.”

Popovich said that Ginobili, who originally hurt his ankle in last season’s NBA play-offs, would be out of action until mid-December at the latest.

The Argentina superstar has been told to walk with crutches. As for physical activity, Ginobili is allowed to lift weights and swim.

San Antonio’s promising French center Ian Mahinmi, meanwhile, is out of the first several days of training camp due to a sprained ankle.

Mahinmi spent the majority of last season in the NBDL. In 45 games with San Antonio’s development team, the Austin Toros, he averaged 17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds.

CHN – Yao hopes to avoid being bitten by injury bug

HOUSTON (NBA) - Yao Ming’s fitness is one of the hot topics heading into the new NBA campaign.

The China center was in fine fettle with the Houston Rockets in February, only for the 7ft 6in giant to go down with a stress fracture in his foot.

Yao required a season-ending operation and barely made it back in time to play at the Olympics in Beijing.

The Chinese basketball icon this week proclaimed himself fully fit at the team’s media day and spoke of his hope of remaining healthy for a whole year.

"I need to learn something from the last three years, seriously," Yao said. "Maybe I need to be careful with my pre-game workout or something, lay down a little bit, not get my body too tired before a game.

“Let's try some new schedules, put my best shape into the game."

Houston coach Rick Adelman is optimistic that Yao will have a big year but he doesn’t need reminding of the injury problems that have plagued his big man throughout his career.

"I think the biggest thing with Yao is monitoring him on off days, too,” Adelman said.

“He’s such a hard worker that he just runs himself into the ground. He keeps saying he wants to rest, but he never wants to sit out."

Houston general manager Daryl Morey was very clear about Yao’s need to rest.

"Someone needs to probably tell him to cool it," Morey said.

One thing is certain.

Yao’s ability to recover in time from his operation in order to represent his country at the Olympics has given him a positive frame of mind.

"I can't wait to go, for the first pre-season game, the first regular-season game," Yao said.

“The Olympics was a very good tryout for me to prepare for the Rockets season. Some Chinese fans probably won't be happy, but that's just being honest.

“It feels great to come out of the injury. I had a good recovery. I feel fresh and ready for next season."

USA – Howard would rather win Olympic gold than NBA crown

ORLANDO (Olympics/NBA) - Dwight Howard is still on a high after his all-conquering summer with Team USA.

The 21-year-old, a 2.11m star with the Orlando Magic, started for the Americans and averaged nearly 11 points and six rebounds to help Mike Krzyzewski’s side go through the Olympic tournament unbeaten en route to gold medal glory.

When asked by an Orlando Sentinel reporter at the Magic's media day on Monday if he'd rather win an Olympic gold or an NBA title, Howard replied: "Gold medal, baby.

“It's the gold medal. It only comes around once every four years and it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's a different level. You're playing not just for your team; you're playing for your country."

ARG – Argentina job is Hernandez’s to keep if he wants it

BUENOS AIRES (CABB) - Argentina are hoping that Sergio Hernandez will remain in charge of the national side after leading the Albiceleste to an Olympic bronze medal.

The South Americans won the gold at the Athens Games four years ago under Ruben Magnano and this summer they overcame the loss of star guard Manu Ginobili to injury in their semi-final against Team USA and a troublesome knee that hobbled Andres Nocioni to beat Lithuania and clinch third place.

"We knew it wasn´t an easy process and Sergio did a very good job,” Argentina Basketball Federation vice president German Vaccaro said.

“In a world were results count, there is nothing to discuss. That is why we have offered him the chance to continue in charge of the national team."

Hernandez led Argentina to silver at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship while in 2006, he guided the team to the semi-finals of the FIBA World Championship in Japan.