ARG - Oberto: ‘I am a soldier that takes orders’

CORDOBA (Olympics) - Fabricio Oberto is not too proud to play at the South American Championship in June if Argentina coach Julio Lamas asks him to.

The event has always been an opportunity for less experienced players to gain consideration for places in the Olympic squad but if Lamas wants the 36-year-old Oberto, who is training with Atenas de Cordoba but not playing in games, to compete in the tournament, he will oblige.

"It wouldn't be a lack of respect to play at the South American games," Oberto said.

"Julio is a person that knows me very well.

"If he considers it necessary, I am a soldier that takes orders.

"With Julio I have the best of dialogues and I have a lot of confidence to speak to him and vice-versa.

"I am very lucky in that respect."

Oberto is one of the most famous players ever to wear an Argentina shirt.

He was the starting center in the country's team at the 2004 Olympics that captured the gold medal and he also played in the bronze-medal winning side at the Beijing Games.

Oberto stopped competing professionally early in the 2010-11 NBA season because of a heart condition but he came out of retirement to play at last year's FIBA Americas Championship in Mar del Plata.

Nothing pleases Oberto more than to put on the Argentina shirt.

"I've never considered myself a regular in the national team so my mind remains the same," he said.

"I believe I have given a lot to the national team and all that I've been able to do, I've done on and off the court.

"If I'm not supposed to be there (at the Olympics), I won't be.

"I am doing everything to help the team because I think I can help.”

At the end of January, Lamas announced several players that were confirmed in the preliminary squad for London, and Oberto was not among them.

The coach said at the time: "Only players that are competing are able to be selected."

He also added: “Everyone is under observation, especially guards and centers."

Oberto says he will continue to work on his physical condition with Atenas.

"Unfortunately for other reasons, I'm not playing and I cannot take a responsibility within a team," he said to Uno Contra Uno Radio.

"It's not the best what I'm doing, but the circumstances dictate it like this.

"It's a personal decision to only train in order to play at the Olympics, which is what I would like to do.

"Above that there are the decisions of the coach Julio (Lamas), of the executives and mine."

Pablo Prigioni, Manu Ginobili, Carlos Delfino, Hernan Jasen, Andres Nocioni, Luis Scola, Leo Gutierrez and Juan Gutierrez are the players confirmed in the preliminary squad.

FIBA