Argentina include 10 World Cup finalists on Olympic roster
LAS VEGAS (USA) - Sergio Hernandez endured "the worst day" of Argentina's preparations for the Olympics when naming the final 12 players that will compete at the Tokyo Games.
LAS VEGAS (USA) - Sergio Hernandez endured "the worst day" of Argentina's preparations for the Olympics when naming the final 12 players that will compete at the Tokyo Games.
Argentina will take 10 of the players that competed at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China and reached the Final, including national team great Luis Scola, who made the All-Star Five, and Denver Nuggets point guard Facundo Campazzo.
Maximo Fjellerup, who played for Argentina at the World Cup, has been cut, along with Juan Fernandez - who just finished playing for the country at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Riga, Latvia - and Lautaro Berra.
🚨Plantel confirmado: Hernández anunció los 12 para Tokio.
— CAB (@cabboficial) July 17, 2021
🏀Después del último entrenamiento en Las Vegas, el head coach entregó la nómina definitiva para los Juegos Olímpicos.
🇦🇷Conocé los elegidos y las sensaciones del entrenador: https://t.co/41fVNwVDNe#ElAlmaArgentina pic.twitter.com/YUXg2z8DSc
"Today was the worst day of the gathering: making the decision of which 12 are and communicating it is what I suffer the most from the whole process," Hernandez said. "Years go by, but I don't get used to it. "
Hernandez revealed the squad after a team practice at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, where Argentina have been preparing for the Olympics. "Twelve go to Tokyo, but I want everyone to feel part of this process ... I love you, respect and admire you all.
Players that have made the team that were not in China are shooting guard Leandro Bolmaro, who is on the books of Spanish champions Barcelona, and small forward Juan Pablo Vaulet of AEK Athens.
| Argentina Team for the Tokyo Olympics | |||
| Leandro Bolmaro | Nicolas Brussino | Francisco Caffaro | Facundo Campazzo |
| Gabriel Deck | Marcos Delia | Tayavek Gallizzi | Patricio Garino |
| Nicolas Laprovittola | Luis Scola | Juan Pablo Vaulet | Luca Vildoza |
Scola, 41, will play at the Olympics for the fifth time in his illustrious career. He won the gold medal with Argentina at the Athens Games in 2004, and the bronze medal at the Beijing Games in 2008.
In addition to Campazzo is Gabriel Deck (Oklahoma City), a key man in the World Cup team who is on the Olympic roster.
Argentina travel to the Olympics in the No. 4 spot of the FIBA World Ranking Presented by Nike.
The will play in a very competitive Group C with No. 2 Spain, No. 16 Slovenia and No. 42 Japan.
Slovenia, led by the sensational Luka Doncic, will be Argentina's first opponent on August 26. Slovenia clinched a spot in the Tokyo Games by winning the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Kaunas, Lithuania.
FIBA