Scola: "It’s going to be an emotional game for me."

jocar · Mar 9, 2013

Scola Braces for emotional games against Rockets

OAKLAND, Calif. — As reunions go, Luis Scola finally facing his former team comes with a glitch — former teammates.

“You know, we have more Rockets from last year in Phoenix than in Houston,” Scola said. “It’s kind of crazy.”

For Scola, facing the Rockets on Saturday night in Phoenix and Wednesday at Toyota Center offers more of a reminder than a reunion. He said there were no hard feelings, but he knew the next games will not be ordinary games.

In many ways, Wednesday’s game will be more emotional for him.

The Rockets last week ran a video promoting the game in the arena, billing it as Scola’s return and inspiring an ovation from the Toyota Center crowd. If Scola, 32, had fooled himself into thinking his return would not be emotional, that ended as soon as the 6-9 forward was told of the crowd reaction to just seeing his photo.

“I heard about that,” said Scola. “I’m just trying to stay away from the emotional part of the game, and that didn’t help. I work hard. I was there for a long time. A part of you hopes you left a good impression and good memories there and those things kind of tell you that. I was happy. I couldn’t help but be touched by it. It’s going to be an emotional game for me.

“I never came back to (play against) a team that I played five years for. I didn’t play against my team in Spain (Tau Ceramica). This is going to be a little emotional, a little bit different. We are going to go through that and try to stay away from that as much as I can to have a good game.”

By the time Scola was made part of the summer overhaul of the Rockets, released in an amnesty cut as the Rockets began moving to their young power forwards, he did not expect to return.

Suns faltering

The first moves, sending out Chase Budinger and Samuel Dalembert, had come before the draft. Kyle Lowry was traded. Goran Dragic and Courtney Lee left as free agents. Scola did not expect to be the last man standing.

“I knew they were going to trade me the day after the draft,” Scola said. “I knew my days in Houston were over. Amnesty started to get into my head as a possibility. At the end of the process, I was ready for it to be done. I was preparing myself to play in the Olympics. I just wanted to know when I was going to leave and where I was going to play.

“The Rockets are an active team. They are looking for something. They are moving a lot and doing well, too. I’m happy for them.”

When he was signed by the Suns, Scola expected to still be with a team fighting for a playoff spot. Steve Nash had left by then, but Dragic was in place as his successor. But after widespread changes, including replacing Alvin Gentry with Lindsey Hunter as coach, the Suns faltered. Phoenix was 21-40 entering Friday’s game at Sacramento.

“I am surprised,” Scola said. “I thought coming here I was with a great organization with a great history and we had good players. I thought we were going to be a playoff team or at least a team fighting for a playoff position with a winning record. That didn’t happen.

“We have a lot to be blamed for it. We’re the players. We were a group that looked good, but did not do that good. It’s sad.”

Scola has two more years on his contract and said he would like to remain with the Suns, though as with his move from the Rockets it will not be up to him.

Sweet memories

But for the next few games, he will try to treat them as no more than the next stops on the schedule. That won’t be easy, particularly when he returns to Toyota Center.

“The whole coaching staff, and trainers, and Anthony (Nila, Rockets equipment manager) and PR people, Tracey (Hughes) and Nelson (Luis), the security guys, all those people I have great memories of them,” Scola said. “It is going to be hard to just walk in the arena and see the ball boys and all that. At the same time, I’m going to be happy to see them again.”
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http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/03/scola-braces-for-emotional-games-against-rockets/

valorita · Mar 9, 2013

scola is the ultimate professional, would love to have him come and help coach our big men when he is done

fooshayd · Mar 9, 2013

possibly my favourite rocket player after Hakeem / Yao. One of those guys that gave 100% every time he was out on the floor. Was sad to see him go, and I know everyone will give him a standing ovation when he comes back.

clubberclyde · Mar 9, 2013

imagine Scola starting next to Asik and Dmo being his backup

mazinger · Mar 9, 2013

I don't think it should be since Parsons is the only remaining team mate from when Scola was here

Williamson · Mar 9, 2013

Luis Scola is such a great guy. One of my favorite ex-Rockets ever.

Velcromium · Mar 9, 2013

scola is the ultimate professional, would love to have him come and help coach our big men when he is done
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That would be awesome, but the moves this guy has might not translate too well on the coaching end. Hell, Olajuwon charges high fees for his coaching, and I have yet to see a player with his moves, granted I might see a good post up move every now and then.

Naija Texan · Mar 9, 2013

mazinger said: ↑

I don't think it should be since Parsons is the only remaining team mate from when Scola was here
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Scola played under this coaching staff just last season, Delfino is one of his pals from Argentina, Aaron Brooks is back on the roster as well, and the Rockets organization is the one that actually gave him the chance to make it to the NBA where he succeeded pretty well and gained a lot of fans despite being one of the oldest rookies the NBA had seen.

The only way it couldn't be emotional is if he didn't play with any heart while over here, which anyone that followed him knows isn't true. Add in the different directions his current team and his previous are going in...

fooshayd · Mar 9, 2013

Dmo needs to learn from scola.. we need more ice cream scoopers in our lineup.

LCAhmed · Mar 9, 2013

archinkent · Mar 9, 2013

Hopefully he doesn't go beast mode on us tonight.

Raven · Mar 9, 2013

Pure class.

mike_lu · Mar 9, 2013

Scola plays emotional when he plays for Argentina. Could be beast-mode time. Rockets better be prepared.

rocketier1 · Mar 9, 2013

I would buy him a beer, only if he scoops ice cream for me

thedude077 · Mar 9, 2013

He should let us win.

clos4life · Mar 9, 2013

This is the only game of the season I wish I had tickets for.

HamJam · Mar 9, 2013

fooshayd said: ↑

Dmo needs to learn from scola.. we need more ice cream scoopers in our lineup.
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You know, when we first got DMo, he said Luis Scola was his favorite basketball player in the world when he was growing up. Luis would have fit perfectly into the chemistry of this locker room.
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I often think, considering how much cap space we have right now -- did we really have to amnesty Scola. I mean, if you look at the salaries, if we would have just traded the picks that took Jones and White for future picks, we would have had plenty of money to make the moves we did and still keep Scola.

When Luis was amnestied I understood what the Rockets were doing, and was not mad. But loosing him and Hayes was definitely the most upsetting roster moves we had made since the days of having to watch Dream lift up that number 34 Raptors jersey.

SWTsig · Mar 9, 2013

clos4life said: ↑

This is the only game of the season I wish I had tickets for.
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Agreed. I may try and go to this one.

Krizzle · Mar 9, 2013

How longs his contract?

Pringles · Mar 9, 2013

Scola really was an awesome player.

That mid-range jumper was smooth as it can be. Even though it looked ugly. He always hustled to the other side of the court for an easy bucket.

He was the legitimate power forward that we did not have for a very long time before that.

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Scola: "It’s going to be an emotional game for me."

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