The "Road To Spain 2014" starts today for 10 countries who will compete in the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship for Men as the tournament kicks off in Caracas, Venezuela.
The powerhouse USA Men's Basketball Team will not participate in the tournament once again after earning an automatic spot in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup by virtue of winning the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics.
Notable players like Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni, and Pablo Prigioni of Argentina will not be around, nor will Anderson Varejao and Leandro Barbosa of Brazil. However, this year's tournament will not lack firepower and luster with the likes of Tristan Thompson, Luis Scola, and JJ Barea leading their respective countries in the tournament.
Argentina will look to rule the tournament for the second straight time, but they will have to do it with a new-look squad. When asked about their chances to claim a second consecutive title, head coach Julio Cesar Lamas confidently said that they are ready to face the challenges ahead of them.
"We arrived well for the tournament. Then there are situations to be solved when playing for points, both in concentration and emotionally. All you have to do with the seriousness of the work and dedication we have done well," Lamas said in a FIBA interview. "When it happened the absences generated a sense of bitterness, but when we started training things went well."
Scola, who is one of the stars of the so-called golden era of Argentinean basketball, is expected to carry bigger loads than before, while also sharing leadership duties with other veterans like Juan Gutierrez and Marcos Mata, who are also battle-tested in major international tournaments.
"Many have never played this tournament in the past, which I have more experience and obviously my opinion is important. This is not to say that in other tournaments it was not, but my role has not changed much in recent years. What changed is that in previous years it was shared and this year is more solitary. But I'm not alone either , because there's also Juan Gutierrez , who's played many tournaments, Marcos Mata , who was in several international championships," Scola said.
Argentina will kick off their title defense against less-heralded Paraguay in the second game of the opening day of the tournament, which will run from August 30 to September 11 in Caracas, Venezuela.
2013 FIBA Americas Championship For Men Day One Schedule:
- Jamaica vs Canada 11:00
- Argentina vs Paraguay 13:30
- Puerto Rico vs Brazil 17:00
- Venezuela vs Mexico 20:00
Live Streaming of the tournament will be available on ESPN-3, while several games will also be shown live on ESPN Deportes TV and NBA TV.
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