you guys wanted more luis scola threads http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/09/01/deportes/d-08501.htm "Sabemos que acá nadie nos regaló nada" After every game, sitting on the laps of their mother and their aunt maria elena, Tiago and Tomas Scola wait impatiently for their father to exit the dressing room. When he makes his way to the stands, the man who just minutes ago was fighting for every single rebound, sacrificing his body, and enduring cheap shots from the opposition, is now embracing his children with the gentleness of a craftsman. Luis Scola is a man with many shades. On the court, He has given his soul, along with his teammates, to give Argentina a chance for a direct trip to Beijing 2008. Off the court, he discredits the myth that victory or defeat determines the greatness of an athlete or an establishment. " We are coming into the semifinals focused, prepared, and with the will to play our best game in the tournament. But in the end, this game is just that, a game. Those who make a living from this, will tell you.. that the outcome of a game can be determined by just one play. If we were to know the results before hand, the game of basquetbol would not make sense." scola told our newspaper, clarinX. To Scola, the previous game against brasil, in which he scored 23 points and 12 rebounds, means nothing. "If Brasil made it to the semifinals, It had to be because they are good. And besides, the last game was very evenly match." Clarin: Would You have wanted to face another rival ? Scola: NO, I've been in many situations, like in the King's cup, where I have been happy with the matchup given to us, only to have that team beat us. Wishing for a certain match up is never a good thing. We have accomplished or objective to reach the semifinals,and now we must do everything in our power to win the game. Clarin: Do you value securing a slot for the play in games? Scola: Of course. We knew coming into this tournament, that no one was going to give us anything just because we are the reigning olympic champs. While other teams, such as Puerto Rico and Canada, struggled for a play in slot, We were able to secure it a couple of games back. Clarin: are you satisfied with your individual performance? Scola: We've all had our great individual moments. It is for that reason that we were able to win 7 out of the 8 games. If we had lost more of those games, would having scored more points really mattered? Clarin: You, along with carlos delfinos and leonardo Gutierrez are the leaders of this team. Is it because of the experience you guys bring? Scola: I dont believe in leaders or stars. Real Teams do not pay attention to such terms. They just go out and give it their all. A team must function as one, with each member filling in their role. In our current squad, there are many players doing great things. I am going to use matias as an example; he is having a tremendous tournament, though the things he does for us do not show up on the stat sheets. Clarin: You say you are not the leader of this team, but we always see you talking to your teammates.... Scola : I've always been a talker. Basquetbol is a sport that is based on communication. But I'm not the only one who talks, there are many here that do. It's a healthy thing to have. Clarin: The local media keeps asking you about your new team, The Houston Rockets. Scola: Yes, they do. I like to avoid the topic, since my only focus right now is qualifying to Beijing. But the question is always brought up. Facts: " I want you on my team or very far away from it", Mike krzyewski told luis scola, during the press conference following the EEUU Vs Argentina Match. 145 points: Scola has averaged 18.1 points per game and currently ranks 5th in scoring in the tournie. 61 rebounds: Luis has averaged 7.6 per game. 48 have been defensive and 13 have come on the offensive side. Nestor, the greates president, encourages Argentina Propaganda: <embed src="http://odeo.com/flash/audio_player_midsize_black.swf" quality="high" width="150" height="60" name="audio_player_midsize_black" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="audio_id=16494063&audio_duration=100.65&valid_sample_rate=true&external_url=http://media.odeo.com/5/3/8/argentina.mp3" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed><br /><a style="font-size: 9px; padding-left: 37px; color: #6a99fe; letter-spacing: -1px; text-decoration: none" href="http://odeo.com/audio/16494063/view">powered by <strong>ODEO</strong></a>
