Scola, Wolkowyski say they will play for Argentina

Apr 22, 2007 - 5:39 PM BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Ticker) - Luis Scola, one of the world's best players not in the NBA, said he will play for Argentina in this summer's FIBA Americas qualifying tournament, according to a published report.

Scola's declaration - plus a similar assent from former NBA player Ruben Wolkowyski - is a shot in the arm for the Olympic champions, who have roster concerns regarding many of their mainstays.

"I have never said I wouldn't play (at the FIBA Americas) or that I was in doubt," Scola, a power forward for Spanish ACB giants Tau Ceramica, told the Clarin newspaper. Wolkowyski, a center who plays for BC Khimki in Russia, also intends on representing his country this summer in Las Vegas, where two Olympic berths will be up for grabs.

"I want to play at the pre-Olympic championship," he told the Ole newspaper. "I always want to play for the national team. It has given a lot to us, so we have to give something back, too. Every Argentinian's dream is to play in the national team, as well as mine."

With Charlotte Bobcats rookie forward Walter Herrmann having all but ruled himself out and fellow NBA Argentines Manu Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto of San Antonio and Andres Nocioni of Chicago hinting they will skip the tournament, Argetine coach Sergio Hernandez was desperate for some good news.

"This change does not have to be necessarily bad," Scola said. "What we have to do is to leave comparisons aside. If we compare, we'll have problems. We'll have to start writing a new story as a team."

Scola and Wolkowyski were key members of the teams that captured gold at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and silver two years earlier at the World Championships.

Wolkowyski, 33, once played for the Seattle SuperSonics. He is aware that age is creeping up on him.

"If it has been six or seven years ago, I would have walked all the way to join the national team, but now my body feels trips and games," he said. "I also want to see if I can sign for another team which would allow me peace of mind when joining the national team."

Argentina, Brazil and the United States are the favorites in the 10-team tournament which begins August 22. The semifinal losers and fifth-place team reserve spots in a worldwide Olympic qualifying tournament just before the 2008 Games.

"It will be a real war," Scola said. "It will be terribly tough. The United States are playing at home and Brazil are a great team who want to take one of the berths.

"There are also some good teams like Puerto Rico and Venezuela, plus some others who always make it complicated for you, such as Panama and the Dominican Republic."