LEBRON LOOKS FORWARD TO 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

With an Olympic medals of gold (2008 Beijing) and bronze (2004 Athens) safely tucked under his belt, Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is not done yet with regards to his Team USA duties. James, who averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in eight outings during the 2008 summer games, has already pledge his commitment to play for the Nationals and defend their title in the 2012 London Olympics. James says he can not wait for the games to begin and bring home another gold medal to Team USA, according to Hoopshype.

“I’m committed. I can’t wait for it – to have an opportunity to go to London and defend our gold medal from Beijing. It’s going to be great. I’ve always loved the Olympics just to be around the athletes from all over the world. Not only in my country but to see all of the athletes, it’s so fun… I have a great deal respect for all other athletes that are competing as well.”

TEAM CANADA BADLY NEEDS HOMEGROWN NBA TALENTS

There are seven current Canadian Nationals plying their trade in the NBA but only three of them are suiting up for Team Canada in the coming FIBA Americas Olympic qualifiers in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. Miami Heat center Joel Anthony, former New York Knicks forward Andy Rautins and San Antonio Spurs 2011 top rookie pick Cory Joseph have all confirmed their commitment to play for the National team this year while the same can not be said of two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings slotman Samuel Dalembert, Heat reserve center Jamaal Magloire and Cleveland Cavaliers highly-touted rookie Tristan Thompson. Rautins, son of Team Canada head coach Leo Rautins, acknowledged the strong opposition of NBA powered rivals in the FIBA meet and wonders why the latter four players continue to shy away from flag duty, according to the Toronto Sun.

“It certainly frustrates me because when you look at our team they could help us out a great deal, help the team get to a whole new level. For me, I think it’s first and foremost if you’ve got an opportunity to represent your country, you do it. Playing against professionals that are in the NBA, Euroleague allstars, this is basketball at its finest in the summer, so for some of these guys not to come out, some of these guys that are top talents top 10 picks in the league, it just doesn’t make sense to me.”

TEAM ARGENTINA EYES FIBA AMERICAS CROWN

Being the tourney’s host and boasting a line-up with NBA veterans, Team Argentina has become the title favorite in the coming FIBA Americas Olympic qualifiers starting August 30 in Mar De Plata. Argentina head coach Julio Lamas welcomes with open arms the return of San Antonio Spurs small forward Manu Ginobili in the national squad. Argentina leads the Group B cast with Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Panama and Paraguay. Lamas says his team has the necessary experience to win the championship, which could be a first for Argentina on a tournament which serves as an Olympic qualifier, according to FIBA website.

“Argentina has never won the tournament when it serves as an Olympic qualifier. It will not be easy, but with the players we have, we have to aspire to win this, even while offering respect to our opponents. The games will not be won before they have been played. I think the experience of our players ensures we will not underestimate any situation we will find in the tournament. I'm calm, and know the favourites do not always become the champions. We must perform as a team.”

TEAM AUSTRALIA: MILLS IN, BOGUT OUT IN OLYMPIC OCEANIA QUALIFIERS

Milwaukee Bucks starting center Andrew Bogut will not suit up for the Australian Boomers national team in the coming FIBA-Oceania Olympic qualifiers. Australia will meet rivals New Zealand in a best-of-three series to determine the continent’s representative to the 2012 London Olympics basketball championship. Game one is set on September 7 in Melbourne, game two on September 9 in Brisbane and if necessary, game three will be played on September 11 in Sydney. Insurance issues had forced Bogut not to play for the Boomers but instead will assist Australia head coach Brett Brown on the bench. Bogut was the number one pick over-all in the 2005 NBA rookie draft and has so far had played 396 total games with the Bucks with norms of 12.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per outing. However, the Boomers will have an NBA player in Portland Trail Blazers guard Patrick Mills, who announced his availability for the qualifying competition. The 6-0 Mills, who was the 55th pick over-all by the Blazers in the 2009 draft, is a two-year NBA veteran with career averages of 5.1 ppg and 1.5 apg in 74 total games so far. Mills says with his current free-agent status, he is definitely seeing action for Australia in the coming New Zeland series, according to FIBA website.

“Being a free agent I haven't actually signed with a team for next season, but I will definitely play for the Boomers in September. We would rather also have Andrew Bogut and David Andersen on the team, but the way things go they have not been able to join us. The New Zealand series is always a tough one. Lucky for us the games are all in Australia - but you never know.”

SPURS ROOKIE TO LEAD TEAM CANADA IN FIBA-AMERICAS

Hopes are high that San Antonio Spurs top rookie guard Cory Joseph will join the 17-man Canadian national training team preparing for the coming 2011 FIBA-Americas Olympic qualifiers in Argentina. Joseph was the 29th pick over-all of the Spurs out of the University of Texas at Austin. He played a single season for the Longhorns, posting norms of 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists a game in 36 appearances as the lead point guard. Joseph had previously suited up for Canada in the FIBA World Championships in 2007 and 2009. Miami Heat center Joel Anthony leads the training pool which includes Jermaine Anderson, Mangisto Arop, Antwi Atuahene, former PBA import Denham Brown, Murphy Burnatowski, Aaron Doornekamp, Carl English,  Jeff Ferguson, Brady Heslip, Levon Kendall, Nemanja Mitrovic, Kelly Olynyk, Andy Rautins, Jevohn Shepherd, Jamie Vanderbeken, and Jesse Young. Former NBA and Canadian national player Leo Rautins returns once again as Team Canada head coach with Renato Pasquali, Scott Roth, and Greg Francis as assistant coaches. Cleveland Cavaliers rookie forward and Joseph’s former Longhorns teammate Tristan Thompson, who was the fourth pick over-all in last month’s NBA draft, will not suit up for the Canadians due to some personal reasons.

TEAM ARGENTINA TO MISS NBA STARS IN FIBA-AMERICAS?

Argentina’s Olympic stint next year is in jeopardy. That would be the case if their four NBA players namely, Luis Scola of the Houston Rockets, Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs, Andres Nocioni of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Carlos Delfino of the Milwaukee Bucks, would not be able to suit up for the national squad taking part in the FIBA-Americas Olympic qualifiers. The tournament will be hosted by Argentina with the games to be played at Mar Del Plata. The top two finishers will gain automatic berths to the 2012 London games. Due to the NBA lockout, the four mentioned players may not make it to the said tourney due to insurance issues. However, Argentina Basketball Confederation president German Vaccaro says he hopes to resolve the insurance problem besetting Scola and company in time before Argentina starts their training on July 29, according to FIBA.

“Argentina will start training on July 29. In our case, I'm optimistic that Argentina will have all of their players to play in the tournament we are hosting. We have to find a solution for the players. From an institutional standpoint, it would be irresponsible on our part to make the players play without an insurance policy and on the other hand, for them, the players, they need to be insured for their own security, in order to do their job.”

CASSPI TO LEAD ISRAELI TEAM IN EUROBASKET 2011

Sacramento Kings hardworking forward Omri Casspi is keeping himself busy these days as he prepares his body and game for the Israeli national squad seeing action in the forthcoming FIBA-EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania in August. Israel will play the eliminations in the tough group B together with Italy, France, Latvia, Germany and Serbia, who are all expected to be led by top NBA players. Israel’s best ever finish in EuroBasket was a silver medal won in 1979. During the last EuroBasket competitions in 2009, the Israelis ended up a dismal 15th place. The team will pin its hopes for a better finish this year in starters 6-9 small forward Casspi, 6-9 center Yaniv Green (Maccabi Tel Aviv), 6-9 power Lior Eliyahu (Maccabi Tel Aviv), 6-5 shooting guard Yotam Halperi (Olympiacos B.C.) and 6-2 point guard Yogev Ohayon (Hapoel Jerusalem). Israel, which is currently ranked number 27 by FIBA, will be coached by veteran mentor Arik Shivek, who replaces longtime national coach Zvi Sherf. Casspi says he is presently preparing for the grind with personal training and is looking forward to a successful EuroBasket stint, according to Israeli News.

“Now I'm preparing for the team, a month of personal training and weight room. I'm planning to join the national team in top form. I hope to success with the team in the European championship and with Sacramento in the next season.”

EUROBASKET LITHUANIA 2011

With the cancellation of the NBA summer leagues this year, fans can fill their hoops appetite with top class international play in the coming 2011 FIBA European Championships or more popularly known as EuroBasket. The biennial conclave of European powerhouse teams will be held on August 31 to September 18, 2011 in Lithuania. Spain, which features numerous NBA stars led by the Gasol brothers (Pau and Marc), are the defending champions. With the looming NBA lockout, European NBA players, for sure, will try to re-sharpen their game in the tournament to be participated in by 24 countries. The cast of this year’s edition of EuroBasket are as follows: Group A – Poland, Great Britain, Turkey, Lithuania and Spain.  Group B – Italy, Israel, France, Latvia, Germany and Serbia. Group C – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Montenegro and Greece. Group D – Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Belgium and Slovenia. Three countries namely Portugal, Hungary and Finland will play in a single round-robin tourney starting August 12 to determine the last two qualifiers for Groups A and C, respectively. The EuroBasket will also serve as the qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympics, wherein the top two finishers will be seeded into the quadrennial event. Great Britain as host of the Summer games automatically qualifies.

INJURIES HIT SMART GILAS SEABA CAMPAIGN

The Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas leaves tonight for Jakarta, Indonesia, to defend their Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship. The four-nation joust is set to start tomorrow until Sunday. Malaysia, Singapore, and host Indonesia are the other countries vying for the three slots to the FIBA Asia Olympic qualifiers in Wuhan, China on September. The Nationals will not be in full force as various injuries had hit the squad prior to the regional meet. Marcio Lassiter, JV Casio, Chris Lutz, and Japeth Aguilar are all currently in sick bay while Dylan Ababou is still in the recovery stage after battling flu the past week. Big men Greg Slaughter and Aldrech Ramos will also miss the tourney due to school commitments. Smart Gilas Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman says the lack of manpower in his team makes it tough to defend the SEABA title.

“Not so good, the injuries. What can I say except its going to be tougher for us than expected, not thanks to these injuries and not having enough players. But we’ll do all we can to compete in the SEABA and clinch a spot in the FIBA-Asia Championship.”

FINAL NOTES ON THE 22ND FIBA-ASIA CHAMPIONS CUP MANILA

Despite losing the battle for third place against Al Rayyan of Qatar, 71-64, Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas were able to better their seventh-place finished in last year’s edition. 

***** 

Smart Gilas shot a very poor 3-of-23 from the three-point arc against Qatar. National head coach Rajko Toroman must immediately address this problem as outside shooting is very vital in playing the zone in the coming FIBA-Asia Olympic qualifiers in Wuhan, China on September.

***** 

Wonder why Toroman did not utilized Japeth Aguilar in the homestretch of their game against Qatar. With their outside shots not clicking, Aguilar could have been a factor inside the painted area.

***** 

Marcus Douthit has improved a lot offensively for Smart Gilas. He never averaged in double digit in points during his US Collegiate career while playing for Providence. He led the Gilas squad with 28 points and 17 rebounds in the losing battle against Al Rayyan squad.

*****

Leslie Chauncey, one of the two imports of Al Rayyan, impressed a lot of pundits with his consistent backcourt play. Chauncey could be a good choice of an import in the coming PBA Governor’s Cup set to start on Saturday, June 11.

*****

Fadi El Khatib of Al Riyadi Beirut can now really be considered a legend in Asian basketball, after pouring in 41 big points in leading the Lebanese club to the championship over the dethroned champions, Mahram of Iran, 91-82 in a very exciting finals match. Many wonders why he did not make it to the Sacramento Kings or the Los Angles Clippers final roster in 2003.

*****

Most of the Filipino fans decided to stay at the PhilSports Arena right after the Smart Gilas game to watch the finale between Al Riyadi and Mahram and they got their money’s worth. They become witnesses to a truly first-class international game.

*****

One outstanding player in the Mahram squad was Samad Nikkhah Bahrami. The well-built forward was the most consistent player of the Iranian club throughout the tournament. He top scored anew for Mahram during the finals with 28 points.

*****

The Al Riyadi Beirut squad for winning the 22nd FIBA-Asia Champions Cup got a $200,000 bonus from team owner Hisham Jaroudi, who flew in 15 hours to catch his team's  championship game against Mahram of Iran.

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL FOR SMART GILAS

The Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas may have lost the war in the 22^nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup but they have won the hearts of the entire nation. The Nationals failed a game short of a championship slot as they lost a heartbreaking 90-87 to the big, powerful and defending champions, Mahram of Iran before a big partisan crowd at the PhilSports Arena. The defeat relegated the Filipinos to a battle for third place against Al Rayyan of Qatar, which lost a lopsided 71-52 decision to the undefeated Al Riyadi of Lebanon in the other semis tiff. For awhile, many thought the game is over with about two minutes to go and Iran up by seven points but Gilas skipper Chris Tiu scattered five quick points to cut the lead down to just two with twenty seconds to play. We have our chances in the dying seconds but Mark Barroca and Marcio Lassiter bungled consecutive three-point shots that could have sent the game into an extension. Over-all, it was an inspiring game by Gilas as Mahram never led them by double-digit throughout the entire game. The performance in this tournament showcased the big improvement in their game with only three months to go before the all-important FIBA Asia Olympic qualifiers in Wuhan, China in September. National head coach Rajko Toroman says he is all-praised of his boys because they gave Mahram a run for their money and a team that he considered a better team than the Iranian National team itself, according to FIBA-Asia.

“I’m proud of the way the boys played against a team that is stronger than the Iranian National Team.”

ALL ABOUT NUMBERS IN THE 22ND FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONS CUP

Everything is all set for the quarter-finals knockout stage in the ongoing 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup. Host Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas guns for a slot in the final four as they play the lowly but dangerous Al Jala'a squad of Syria. As the group stage preliminaries came to a close, let’s take a look at the leader-board on individual statistics. As expected the import reinforcements dominated the scoring and rebounding departments, respectively. In scoring, Christopher Williams of Iran ranked number one with 30.0 points per game, followed by Courtney Fields of UAE with 24.8 ppg and the hardworking Christopher Martin Ayer of Malaysia with 22.3 ppg. In rebounds, former Gilas forward CJ Giles of Iraq came up on top with 14.8 caroms per outing with Vladislav Dragajlovic of Saudi Arabia (13.0 rpg) and Ayer (11.8 rpg) placing second and third, respectively. Veteran guard Osama Daghles of Jordan was the top player in assist with 7.8 dimes per game. Two Gilas guards JV Casio (6.0 apg) and Chris Tiu (5.3) rounded off the top three.

MABUHAY PILIPINAS!

I was in a quandary last night regarding what to watch on the boob tube. The Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas is in a very crucial game against co-unbeaten ASU squad of Jordan in the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup. At the same time, I did not catch the live morning telecast of game one of the 2011 NBA finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks, which I promised myself to watch the replay of the entire game later in the evening. At the last minute, through the prodding of my wife, I decided to tune-in instead to the Gilas game. That makes sense after all, considering that it is a live game and is more of an utmost importance for us being Filipinos. And the rest is history. God knows I made the correct and wise choice. Smart Gilas played its best game in the tourney as they nipped Jordan, 76-74 in a pulsating encounter. The win made the Nationals the top-seeded team in Group B. It was one heck of an emotional game. Birthday boy and veteran forward Dondon Hontiveros, one of two PBA players in the team, exploded for a team-high 23 points, while JV Casio, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz delivered in the clutch to repulse the bigger and powerful Jordanian five. But it was the inspiring game of old warrior Asi Taulava which made the win more remarkable. He endlessly battled Jordan’s big men in the paint.  Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman says the game showed the typical tactical war in an international game and also gave credit to Taulava’s contributions to the well-deserved victory.

“This was a typical international game. Very tactical. They had the size, but I think we did very well to stop them. Of course we ran into foul trouble, but that is a part of the game. I have been saying from day one that Asi’s presence in the team is a great strength for us. He made us breathe a lot easier in defense.”

CHRIS TIU: THE JOHN STOCKTON OF ASIA

At first, you may find the comparison absurd. One is a young and tiny Filipino point guard of the National team and other, an American hoops hall-of-famer. I am referring to Chris Tiu of Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas and John Stockton, the retired ex-Utah Jazz and University of Gonzaga great. If you are following the games of Smart Gilas in the ongoing 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup, you would have noticed what I am trying to point out. The way Tiu handles the backcourt chores of the Nationals, the way he defends, and the court instincts that he have, all resembles the game of Stockton. He even have the choir boy looks just like the 6-2 partner of Karl Malone in Salt Lake City. He looks harmless on the court and just like Stockton, looks can be deceiving. He is a feisty kind of guard who would not back down from a rebound play even against opponents a foot taller than him, truly a Stocktonesque trait. Meet Chris Tiu, the John Stockton of Asia!

SMART GILAS: STILL FAR FROM BEING FEARSOME

It was a very disappointing performance so far for the Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas in the ongoing 22nd FIBA-Asia Champions Cup at the PhilSports arena in Pasig City. The Nationals struggled for form in the first half of their game against the second-rate Kuala Lumpur Dragons of Malaysia before playing solidly in the final half to win, 95-64. The Dragons, which almost relied solely on its two imports Chris Ayer and Mike Morrison, led the Gilas, 40-39 at the half. With only four months to go before the FIBA-Asia Olympic qualifiers, it looks like coach Rajko Toroman’s charges are still far from being a well-oiled machine gunning for the sole regional spot for the London Games. Toroman says their unfamiliarity with the Dragons game contributed to the team’s anemic showing in the first half.

“We didn’t know anything about Malaysia and we’re playing bad in the first half, that’s why we struggled. But I told them at the break that we should play like we used to – be aggressive and run like hell.”

ALL ROADS LEAD TO PASIG CITY

Finally, big time international hoop championship returns to Manila after a six-year absence. The 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup reels off tomorrow at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City with ten countries vying for the prestigious title of this annual event. Mahram of Iran won last year’s championship over host Al Rayyan of Qatar. This year’s edition will see both teams landing in the same group during the preliminary round. Group A will be made up of Duhok (Iraq), ASU (Jordan), Kuala Lumpur Dragons (Malaysia), host Smart Gilas Nationals and Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia). Mahram and Al Rayyan leads Group B with Al Riyadi (Lebanon), Al Jala'a (Syria) and Al Shabab (United Arab Emirates). Imports seeing action are Darren Keely and Vladislav Dragajlovic of Al Ittihad, Samaki Walker and Jamaal Miller of Al Jala’a, Chauncey Leslie and Ousseynou Ndiaye of Al Rayyan, Loren Woods and William Carl Pharis of Al Riyadi, Courtney Fields of Al Shabab, Ryan Forehan-Kelly and ex-PBA import Jameel Watkins of ASU, Marcus Morrison and Christopher Martin Ayer of KL Dragons, ex-Smart Gilas stalwart CJ Giles of Duhok and Christopher Williams and Samb Chikh of the defending champions Mahram. Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas will be bannered by naturalized citizen Marcus Douthit, PBA standouts Asi Taulava and Dondon Hontiveros and regulars Chris Tiu, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Lutz and Mark Barroca. The Gilas squad are setting their sights on the championship this year following a dismal 7th place finished last year. Games will be shown locally on IBC-13 via TV 5 Sports. The following is the complete schedule of the preliminary games:

28/05/2011 1 1400 PhilSports PR – A Duhok (IRQ) vs. ASU (JOR)

28/05/2011 2 1600 PhilSports PR – B Al Jala'a (SYR) vs. Mahram (IRI)

28/05/2011 3 1800 PhilSports PR – A Smart Gilas (PHI) vs. Al Ittihad (KSA)

28/05/2011 4 2000 PhilSports PR – B Al Shabab (UAE) vs.Al Riyadi (LIB)

29/05/2011 5 1400 PhilSports PR – A Al Ittihad (KSA) vs. Duhok (IRQ)

29/05/2011 6 1600 PhilSports PR – B Al Rayyan (QAT) vs. Al Jala'a (SYR)

29/05/2011 7 1800 PhilSports PR – A KL Dragons (MAS) vs. Smart Gilas (PHI)

29/05/2011 8 2000 PhilSports PR – B Mahram (IRI) vs.  Al Shabab (UAE)

30/05/2011 9 1400 PhilSports PR – A ASU (JOR) vs. Al Ittihad (KSA)

30/05/2011 10 1600 PhilSports PR – A Duhok (IRQ) vs. KL Dragons (MAS)

30/05/2011 11 1800 PhilSports PR – B Al Riyadi (LIB) vs. Mahram (IRI)

30/05/2011 12 2000 PhilSports PR – B Al Shabab (UAE) vs. Al Rayyan (QAT)

31/05/2011 13 1400 PhilSports PR – B Al Jala'a (SYR) vs. Al Shabab (UAE)

31/05/2011 14 1600 PhilSports PR – A KL Dragons (MAS) vs. ASU (JOR)

31/05/2011 15 1800 PhilSports PR – B Al Rayyan (QAT) vs. Al Riyadi (LIB)

31/05/2011 16 2000 PhilSports PR – A Smart Gilas (PHI) vs. Duhok (IRQ)

01/06/2011 17 1400 PhilSports PR – A Al Ittihad (KSA) vs. KL Dragons (MAS)

01/06/2011 18 1600 PhilSports PR – B Mahram (IRI) vs. Al Rayyan (QAT)

01/06/2011 19 1800 PhilSports PR – B Al Riyadi (LIB) vs. Al Jala'a (SYR)

01/06/2011 20 2000 PhilSports PR – A ASU (JOR) vs. Smart Gilas (PHI)

RP SMART GILAS GUNS FOR FIBA-ASIA CHAMPS CUP TITLE

If the campaign of Team Pilipinas Smart Gilas in the forthcoming FIBA-Asia Champions Cup ends up outside the top two finalists, head coach Rajko Toroman will consider it a failure. That is how confident the Nationals are as they brace up for the 10-team tourney set to start on May 28 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City. This is the final year of the three-year program aim to bring back the Philippines to the Olympiad cage circle in London next year. The Olympic qualifiers is scheduled this Septmber in China where only one slot is available for the London games. Naturalized citizen Marcus Douthit together with PBA reinforcements Asi Taulava and Dondon Hontiveros spearheads Smart Gilas, which will be playing Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the opening day. Torman says the Asia Champs Cup is a tough competition but they hope not to disappoint their countrymen by finishing in the top two spots of the eight-day event.

“We’re aiming for a finals appearance at least and see what happens from there. We know the Filipino people are coming to watch and cheer for us and we don’t want to disappoint them. We have to be prepared because we know the competition is going to be tough.”

USA BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

For his outstanding performance in Team USA’s title run in the recently-concluded FIBA World Basketball Championship in Turkey, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder was named as Player of the Year by USA Basketball. Durant led Team USA to a 9-0 sweep of the quadrennial meet and submitted norms of 22.8 points per game. Durant says he played to the best of his ability during the tournament and was humbled by the said honor, according to The Oklahoman.

“It means a lot. My goal was to represent my country to the best of my ability. I really appreciate all of the coaches and players that I got to share that experience with. I am very humbled by this honor.”

Video: BRAZIL-CHINA EXHIBITION GAME BRAWL

GOODBYE TURKEY, WELCOME TO SPAIN

FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann said that the just-concluded FIBA World Championships in Turkey is the most successful staging in the history of the quadrennial event, according to FIBA.com. The Turkey joust achieved the following milestones :

 An estimated TV viewers of one billion people in 200 countries;
 30 million visitors have been to the FIBA Turkey 2010 website;
 More than 100,000 people are members of FIBA's Facebook page; and
 The number of Twitter followers doubled over the course of the Championship.

“We are on the point of closing the most successful FIBA World Championship ever. I believe that it has been the most competitive tournament ever. The Turkey vs. Serbia game last night was an incredible show of spirit and performance.

“In Lithuania, three of the games have produced the highest rated programmes of 2010, all higher than the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, while ratings in China show 65 million people tuned in for the China - Greece game during the Preliminary Round.”

At the same time, FIBA.com reported that outgoing FIBA President Bob Elphinston has commended Spain, the host for the 2014 FIBA World Championships, for promoting early the next tournament to be held in the cities of Barcelona, Bilbao, Granada, Gran Canaria, Madrid and Seville.

“The Spanish bid to host the 2014 FIBA Wold Championship was the best ever in terms of quality and content. The bid featured a commitment to bring a global partner and that has come true.

“Turkey have done a wonderful job in promoting and organising the 2010 FIBA World Championship, but we always look to do better and we look forward to working with Spain to that end.

“The six Spanish cities will only further enhance the quality of our championship. On Monday, the attention will switch to 2014 and Spain will be hard at work on organising the event and looking to regain their crown as champions.”