Take a look at the South American league

BUENOS AIRES (Martín Seldes' Brave New World) - During the first days of February, South America will be defining one of the most important tournaments of the season. The only problem is that few people know about it.

The Final Six will take part from 1 to 5 February at Obras Sanitarias arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Group 1 is made up of two teams from Brazil and one from Argentina: Flamengo, Pinheiros and Atenas. Group 2, by the way, will be made up of Brazilian Uniceub, Uruguayan Malvin and the host team.

The top two teams of each group will qualify to the semifinals.

The South American league shares importance as the best international tournament of the continent with the FIBA Americas League, which will be starting on late February. Once again, we have the same problem that certain teams turn down the chance to playing it and few people and media follow it.

Let’s start from the beginning. South American basketball is growing constantly with two important leagues such as the Brazilian and the Argentinian, and good tournaments such as the Venezuelan, the Chilean and the Uruguayan.

Both Argentina and Brazil are bringing back many players that succeeded in European basketball in the last years. The two countries have competitive leagues in which their most famous players grew up before they became NBA stars in some cases.

The two national teams that have already clinched their Olympic spots have some guys that play in their own national leagues, and many of them will take part of the South American tournament.

Defending champions Uniceub Brasilia will count on former NBA Alex Garcia and Guilherme Giovannoni, two starters in the FIBA Americas Championship last year.

Pinheiros and Flamengo will complete the Brazilian army. Marcelinho Machado and Federico Kammerichs are some of the players to play in Buenos Aires that helped their national teams to make it to London.

Juan Gutiérrez has been part of the Argentine national team since 2007. The 2,06m centre leads the Argentine league in points and rebounds and will be the best chance for the host team to win their first international big tournament since the 1983 William Jones Cup. Actually, the tournament will be played in the same stadium.

Atenas has won nine out of the last ten games in the Argentine national league. Apart from that, the country’s most traditional team could have a big surprise for the tournament.

Club-less Fabricio Oberto will be training with the team in the next days and it wouldn’t be crazy at all if the Olympic Gold champion in 2004 plays in the final six. The veteran presence would motivate the press to follow the tournament with the importance it should have.

Uruguay will have one of its best teams in the tournament as well.

When European clubs plan their season, they always include the Euroleague, the Eurocup or the Eurochallenge in their schedules.

South American clubs hardly ever think on the continental tournaments when they plan their season activity.

It’s also true that distances in America are considerably bigger, clubs have smaller budgets and that the competitions are not deeply rooted in the American basketball.

It’s time to start to change that and enjoy big clubs and big players from different countries all together.

Martín Seldes

FIBA

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