Tag: Serge Ibaka

Spain beats France despite 26 from Parker

By NESHA STARCEVIC
Associated Press

KAUNAS, Lithuania — Juan Carlos Navarro stole the spotlight from what was supposed to be a big matchup between Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, leading Spain to it second straight European basketball championship.

Navarro scored 27 points to lead Spain to a 98-85 victory over France in the final on Sunday.

Parker scored 26 points for France but the Spurs star got little help and could not bring his team its first continental title. France came within six points in the third period but a 7-0 run keyed by a 3-pointer from Navarro restored Spain’s double-digit lead.

“They played great and we can learn a lot from that,” Parker said. “That’s where we want to be as a team. They’ve been together for more than six years and it makes a huge difference. … I know what it’s like after winning three titles with the San Antonio Spurs.”

“This is a historic team,” said Navarro, who is known in his homeland as “La Bomba” for his scoring ability. “We’ll see what are the limits of this selection (of players).”

Gasol chipped in with a double-double, adding 17 points and 10 rebounds for Spain, which became the first repeat champion since Yugoslavia in 1997.

“It’s a very sweet moment for (Spanish) basketball,” the Los Angeles Lakers star said.

Navarro’s performance followed a 35-point game in the semifinal win over Macedonia and earned him the MVP honors for the tournament.

The shooting guard spent a season in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies before returning to Barcelona in 2008.

“Navarro has been incredible, shooting very well and stepping up for us in the clutch,” Gasol said.

Another difference maker in the final was Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, who had five blocks in a five-minute span in the second quarter when Spain built a 10-point lead that it never relinquished. Ibaka, a native of the Republic of Congo, was playing his first tournament for Spain after being granted citizenship in July.

“This was my destiny and I have achieved my dream,” Ibaka said. “I knew that we were going to win because we have a great team. It is my first year with the team and look! Yes sir, five blocks, that’s right man.”

Navarro also had five assists to lead a balanced Spanish effort. Guard Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors added 17 points while the Dallas Mavericks’ Rudy Fernandez had 14 and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol — Pau’s younger brother — scored 11.

“I am extremely proud of back-to-back titles because this was a high-quality championship,” Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said.

Both teams qualified for next year’s London Olympics by reaching the final.

Spain took control early and never allowed France to come close. With 10 blocks and 10 steals — four by Calderon — Spain scored 23 points off France’s 15 turnovers.

“No doubt it was the best team,” France coach Vincent Collet said. “We tried, for a long time we were not far but not very close either. Every time we got close they found a solution. … When you lose to a better team, there is not much to say.”

Boris Diaw of the Charlotte Bobcats had 12 points for France, Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah had 11 and eight rebounds and Nicolas Batum finished with 10 points.

In the bronze-medal game, Aleksey Shved scored the last four points to give Russia a 72-68 victory over Macedonia. American-born guard Bo McCalebb led Macedonia with 22 points. Russia won the tournament in 2007, beating Spain in the final.

Parker, Navarro, McCalebb, Gasol and Andrei Kirilenko of Russia were picked as the top five players of the tournament.

Would it really be the Olympics with no NBA players next year in London?

The start of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London is exactly one year away.

Since the introduction of the American “Dream Team” in 1992, men’s basketball has been one of the Olympics biggest and most anticipated events. And it figures to be that way again in London.

That is, if NBA players choose to represent their countries.

The Olympics are a huge part of David Stern’s globalization of the sport. And the league has its fingerprints all over USA Basketball, starting with managing director and former majority Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo running the show.

But if the lockout stretches through at least one season through the early summer next season, it’s extremely doubtful that the players would give in and join up with their national teams.

This promises to be perhaps the United States’ best team since the original “Dream Team” in 1992. Kobe Bryant has committed, eager to match Michael Jordan for his second gold medal. The United States has a deep collection of transcendent young talent like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose along with emerging superstar players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. 

Other countries look similarly stacked. The Spain team still has the Gasol brothers, but could also add international icon Ricky Rubio and Serge Ibaka. The Argentinians are stacked with veterans who helped them win in 2004, including Manu Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto. France will have Tony Parker along with Joakim Noah and Boris Diaw

But Yahoo.com columnist Adrian Wojnarowski doubts we’ll see any NBA players if the .

It’s just another part of the equation as owners and players sit down next month to settle their differences when negotiations continue. 

No doubt the executives at 30 Rock for NBC-TV have the fingers crossed for an eventual resolution, too.

Because there’s only so much synchronized swimming, field hockey and dressage they can force feed to the American public in their search for ratings.

Yao, Shaq leave a big void

By DOUGLAS PILS
dpils@express-news.net

When the NBA finally comes back, it will be missing two global icons.

Without Shaquille O’Neal — rapper, shoe mogul and the best center of his generation — and now Yao Ming — the man who brought the world to the NBA — the league is much smaller.

Both had the game, personality and swagger that sold tickets, merchandise and worldwide appeal. Neither played much in 2010-11, but now that they’re truly gone the league has big holes in the big-man department.

When healthy, Yao changed games and, for a big man, his 83.3 free throw percentage was tops. O’Neal could move mountains under the basket, and he leaves us with lifetime of one-liners.

Who comes close to what they gave the NBA on and off the court?

It’s a different league from when Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson dominated. Now, we have 7-footers who win NBA titles with 3-pointers, flashy moves and 20-foot awkward looking fadeaway jumpers.

Dallas used to long for someone to compete with Olajuwon and Robinson. Now, all it needs inside to win a title is Tyson Chandler — a nice player and a difference maker this year, but he’s not going down as one of the all-time greats.

And he’s not selling products the way O’Neal and Yao could and can.

So, who are the most dynamic big men left?

Dwight Howard, Magic
The only center left who averages at least 20 points and 10 rebounds and the only one with star power for commercials — McDonalds, T-Mobile, adidas. And he mimics Shaq’s terrible free throws.

Brook Lopez, Nets
He upped his scoring to 20.4 per game this past season, but his rebounds dropped two per game to 6.0. The only commercial I’ve seen is on Disney with the Sprouse twins.

Nenê, Nuggets
Missed most of 2005-06 with a knee injury and 2007-08 with cancer, but he’s been dependable the past three seasons. I’m sure he’s popular in Brazil.

Andrew Bogut, Bucks
The 7-foot Aussie is the only other center besides Howard who averaged a double-double in 2010-11 at 12.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, and he led the NBA at 2.6 blocks a game. He does Time Warner spots in Milwaukee, but I couldn’t find any speaking roles.

Andrew Bynum, Lakers
He plays in Los Angeles, so you’d think he could rise into a leading man’s role. But it seems like we’re always waiting for him grow into his potential. After his last play of 2011 — knocking J.J. Barea to the floor — we’re still waiting.

IMPACT OF YAO

When the Rockets took China’s Yao Ming at No. 1 overall in 2002, he was the first foreigner to be No. 1.

The year before, Spain’s Pau Gasol became the highest at No. 4. In the 10 years before Yao’s selection, 20 foreign-born players who hadn’t played college ball in America were drafted.

In the next 10 drafts, including Yao’s, there have been 52, including six last month led by No. 3 overall pick Enes Kanter.

Toronto took Italy’s Andrea Bargnani at No. 1 in 2006, and Australia’s Andrew Bogut was No. 1 in 2005 after playing college for Utah.

Yao didn’t start the NBA’s international infusion, but he broadened the league’s reach into China and his play further dispelled the notion that basketball is solely an American game.

Here are seven of the best players drafted from overseas since Yao:

Bargnani, PF: Has career averages of 15.1 points — 21.4 in 2010-11 — and 4.9 rebounds for Toronto.

Nicolas Batum, SF, Trail Blazers: No. 25 in 2008, the Frenchman had his best season in his third year, averaging 12.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg.

Nenê, C, Nuggets: No. 7 in 2002, the Brazilian averages 12.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg — 14.3 and 7.6 the past three seasons.

Danilo Gallinari, SF, Nuggets: No. 6 by the Knicks in 2008, the Italian averaged 15.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 2010-11.

Marc Gasol, C, Grizzlies: No. 48 overall in 2007, he’s blossomed in three seasons (12.6 ppg and 7.8 rpg).

Serge Ibaka, PF, Thunder: No. 24 in 2008 out of the Republic of Congo, he ended his second year atop the NBA with 198 blocks, with 9.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg.

Luis Scola, PF, Rockets: Spurs took him at No. 55 in 2002, traded him to Houston, and he’s averaged 14.3 ppg and 8 rpg in four years.