Delfino claims spot in Argentina Olympic squad
LAS VEGAS (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez has finalized the team's roster for the Rio de Janeiro Games and included Carlos Delfino, who last played for the country at the 2012
LAS VEGAS (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) - Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez has finalized the team's roster for the Rio de Janeiro Games and included Carlos Delfino, who last played for the country at the 2012 Olympics.
Delfino, who hasn't appeared in a professional game since the NBA play-offs with Houston in May 2013 against Oklahoma City, when he broke his foot, was a late addition to the preliminary squad. He has proven his fitness to Hernandez.
| Argentina 12-player roster for Rio 2016 Olympic Games | |||
| Roberto Acuna | Nicolas Brussino | Facundo Campazzo | Gabriel Deck |
| Carlos Delfino | Marcos Delia | Patricio Garino | Manu Ginobili |
| Nicolas Laprovittola | Leo Mainoldi | Andres Nocioni | Luis Scola |
With Delfino included, Argentina have four members of the side that captured gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games.
Other 2004 Olympic champions on the roster for Rio are Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni and Manu Ginobili. San Antonio Spurs great Ginobili is also set to play for his country for the first time since the 2012 Olympics.
He had committed to play for Argentina at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup but withdrew because of injury.
Confirmados los 12 para los Juegos Olímpicos de Río. pic.twitter.com/GCJm7CbQiB
— CABB (@cabboficial) July 16, 2016
Scola and Nocioni led Argentina into last year's Final of the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City to qualify for the Rio Games.
Scola (ARG) and Nocioni (ARG) excelled in Mexico City
Facundo Campazzo, coming off a terrific season in Spain's Liga Endesa with Murcia, will continue to have a vital role in the Argentina team. He made his Olympic bow four years ago in London and helped the side reach the Semi-Finals.
Argentina are in Las Vegas, Nevada, to play Nigeria (twice) and the United States in warm-up games for the Olympics.
After their game against the USA on 22 July, Argentina will return home and train at their CeNARD base before going up against Australia and Lithuania, respectively, in the Three Nations tournament in Tecnopolis, near Buenos Aires.
The team will then fly to Cordoba to take part in a Super 4 event (29-30 July and 1 August), that also has the three FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament winners, Croatia, France and Serbia.
Hernandez's squad are to play in Group B at the Olympics with Croatia, Spain, Lithuania, Brazil and Nigeria, with the Africans their first opponents on 7 August. They will need a top-four finish to advance to the Quarter-Finals.
FIBA