Scola upbeat but realistic about future of Argentina national team

NEW YORK (Rio 2016 Olympic Games/FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - Luis Scola's status as an international basketball legend is assured thanks to his glorious and ongoing career with Argentina.

A four-time Olympian and gold-medal winner at the Athens Games in 2004, the 36-year-old has excelled in all of the tournaments that he has played and become an iconic figure in his homeland and all over the world. Now with his new NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets, Scola has spoken to FIBA.com.

FIBA.com: Talk about the experience of being a flag-bearer for Argentina at the opening ceremony for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Scola: It was an experience that I will never forget, probably the high point of my career. I never thought I would be in that situation and I felt very emotional.

FIBA.com: Argentinian fans were all over the place in Rio rooting for the team.
Scola: It was amazing and great for all of us. Factors such as being close to our native country, the good weather and also being in a country where the rivalry is intense between us because of the soccer made it different. The atmosphere in the Olympic Village and in the city was very nice. I really enjoyed my time there. You don’t have the opportunity to play in the Olympics very often, so every time it happens you have to enjoy every moment of it. That is exactly what I did.

FIBA.com: Argentina had a good first round but got eliminated by the USA in the Quarter-Finals.
Scola: We had the campaign we deserved to have, nothing more, nothing less. We had no chance to win against the USA. We could have had different results in the round stage in order to play against another team than the USA, but it happened another way. The other teams that reached the Quarter-Finals were good, too. We wouldn’t have been favourites if we had had to play against France, Australia or Serbia, but we would have had a better shot to win. The campaign went this way, we had the campaign we deserved regarding the results we had in the first round.

FIBA.com: You've always put your hand up to play for Argentina. Will that continue?
Scola: Right now, I am reflecting a bit about everything. We just finished the Olympics not that long ago and the staff (players) has changed. We will see what happens. If I stay healthy, I will keep playing for the national team. I really love playing for the national team, FIBA basketball is very fun and interesting. I think that my career wouldn’t have been the same if I hadn’t play FIBA basketball. If I can still play for the national team, I will play for my country.

FIBA.com: Argentinians Nicolas Brussino (Dallas Mavericks) and Nicolas Laprovittola (San Antonio Spurs) just arrived in the NBA. How do you see the future of the national side and the impact of your compatriots on the team with their NBA experience?
Scola: I think we are in a better situation that what we thought we would be as the golden generation is about to end. We have three or four very talented players that are getting the opportunity to follow in our footsteps in the NBA. Where can we go with that new generation? I don’t know as it depends on the progression of those players, too. We have good elements to play at a great level, but to reach the Olympic title again - it is maybe not realistic. If we have some reasonable goals and we put the effort in to reach them, I think we can have a pretty competitive team.

FIBA