USA - Las Vegas to host 2007 FIBA Americas championship...

COLORADO SPRINGS (FIBA Americas Championship) - FIBA Americas announced today that USA Basketball and Las Vegas, Nevada, have been selected to host the FIBA Americas Championship 2007. The tournament, one of five FIBA Olympic qualifying zone tournaments, will determine the two men’s teams from the Americas zone who will earn qualifying berths for the 2008 Olympic men’s basketball competition.

FIBA Americas Championship 2007
Site: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Thomas & Mack Center
Dates: August 22-September 2, 2007
Nations Qualified: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay, U.S. Virgin Islands and Venezuela.
Available 2008 Olympic Qualifying Berths: Two (first and second place finishers)

The 10 team championship is scheduled to be played Aug. 22 through Sept. 2, 2007, with all games being held at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center.

"We’re excited and honored to have been selected to host this prestigious and important international basketball competition. Holding it in Las Vegas will help make this a memorable championship. This will be an incredible international event for basketball fans in Las Vegas and the surrounding areas," said Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball's Senior National Team program.

FIBA Americas Secretary General, Alberto Garcia, said that t he Executive Committee Selected USA Basketball over the Puerto Rican Federation after evaluating the technical, marketing, television and other aspects that will guarantee the success of the tournament in the sporting and economic aspect. This tournament will have teams from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Panama US Virgin Islands, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and the United States of America.

The FIBA Americas Executive Committee is composed by Julio Subero who is the President (DOM); Horacio Muratore, Vice-President (ARG); Second Vice-President Jim Tooley (USA); FIBA Americas Secretary General, Alberto Garcia (ARG) but resident in Puerto Rico; Treasurer George Killian (USA); Jenaro "Tuto" Marchand who is the FIBA Americas Secretary General Emeritus (PUR) and Rick Traer (CAN) who was the last President of FIBA Americas.

Patrick Baumann, Secretary General of FIBA, approved the deal from the central offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

On the last couple of days it was examined the commercial impact of the FIBA Brand with the NBA who is the commercial agent for USA Basketball. This was one of the most important aspects studied and implemented in the deal.

FIBA Americas will receive over three million dollars ($3,000,000) for giving USA the tournament. The organizing committee might pay 7,000.000 in organizing this event.

This is the second time that the United States hosts this event. The first one was played in Portland in 1992 where the original "Dream Team" won the Gold undefeated as they dominated Venezuela in the finals.

The top two teams qualify for the Olympics directly but the teams that arrive from third to fifth will play in the World Olympic Qualifying tournament for the 2008 Olympics. This tournament might be played in Europe. The top three teams in that tournament qualify for the Olympics.

The first FIBA Americas Championship that qualified for the Olympics was played in 1980 in Puerto Rico, they also hosted this event in 1999 and 2003. Brazil (1984), Uruguay (1988) and Argentina (1995) also hosted the event.

Ten men’s teams from North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean will participate in the FIBA Americas Championship 2007. The top two finishers will earn a qualification spot for the 2008 Olympic Games that are being held Aug. 8-24 in Beijing, China, while the third, fourth and fifth place finishers will qualify for the 12 team 2008 FIBA ( International Basketball Federation) Olympic Qualifying Tournament (June 7‑13, 2008, site TBD) that will qualify the top three finishers for the 2008 Olympics.

The FIBA Americas Championship 2007 will feature 40 games in 12 days. The United States, as the host country, and Canada as the North America representative have qualified, the four teams from Central America and the Caribbean include Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while the four teams from South America include Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The FIBA Americas Championship 2007 will be conducted in three phases. The first phase features the 10 teams divided into two groups of five teams each for the First Round. The teams will play round robin within their groups over five days, with each team scheduled for one day off during the First Round.

After conclusion of the First Round and establishing first to fifth places for each group, the top four finishers in each First Round group will advance to the Second Round. Teams finishing in the fifth position will conclude their participation in the tournament. The top four finishing teams of Group A and Group B will then form a single Second Round group, transferring the results obtained in the games played against each other in the first phase.

In the Second Round, each team will play against the four advancing teams from the other First Round group. At the conclusion of the Second Round, the top six placed teams will advance to the third phase and the bottom four teams will conclude their participation in the tournament.

In accordance with the standings after conclusion of the Second Round, the semifinals will feature the No. 1 ranked team playing the No. 4 team, while the No. 2 ranked team will face the No. 3 ranked team. The losers in the semifinals will play for third position and the semifinals winners will play for first and second places.

USA Basketball & FIBA Americas