By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Argentina captain Luis Scola keeps getting reminded that, at 39, he’s by far the oldest player on a national team with an average age of 27.
It really is uncommon for a player of his age to compete in this kind of tournaments and it’s a rare thing when this player is the leading scorer (16.5 p.p.g) and rebounder (8.5 r.p.g.) of his team.
Scola gets what the talk is all about. However, that doesn’t mean he thinks that it makes any difference for him when he actually steps on the court.
“I understand everybody talking about my age but my brain is not functioning that way,” Scola said when asked about sharing the court with some players much younger than him during the win over Venezuela. “I’m not going out on the court thinking ‘Oh my God, I’m older than these guys.” “Oh my God, these guys are, whatever, 10, 15, 20 years younger than me. They are my teammates. For me, it’s natural. I’m not I’ve been playing with these guys in the last six/seven years. I’m no thinking that I am whatever age every time I step on the court or touch the ball. I just think that I’m a player. I think that I’m a good player. And I think that I’m going to make a good play and have my team win. Can’t be thinking about all those things.
“This is not a tour or a “goodbye week’. This is a World Championship,” Scola added. “We’re trying to win, we’re trying to make it all the way to the medals. I’m an available player and if I’m on the court, it’s because the coach thinks I can help the team win. This is how we do things. We don’t think with ages. Although, I enjoy playing with them. They are young and they give me energy. But I don’t think that way once I’m on the court.”
Scola scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds against Venezuela to help his team grab the fourth straight win in the tournament and clinch a spot in the quarterfinals.
Photo: FIBA Basketball