ESP - Calderon's high fidelity

DALLAS (NBA/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - While he is in the spotlight less than a number of his more celebrated and well-known team-mates in Spain's national side, Jose Calderon has been a pillar of la Roja for over a decade and played his part in their biggest successes.

Following his senior national team debut in 2002, Calderon helped Spain reach great heights, including being crowned world champions in Japan in 2006,  European champions in Lithuania in 2011 and winning silver medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

With the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain just a few months away, the 32-year-old guard is looking to stay healthy in order to help the host country fight for the title in front of the home fans.

Now in his ninth NBA campaign, Calderon is is considered one of the most efficient point guards.

The former Toronto Raptors playmaker signed with the Dallas Mavericks last summer and is teaming up with German superstar Dirk Nowitzki in looking to get the team back to the playoffs following a disappointing 2012-13 season.

The move seems to have paid off as the Mavs are currently sixth in the highly-competitive Western Conference and look headed back to the post-season.

FIBA.com caught up with Calderon to talk about what made him go to Dallas, playing alongside Nowitzki and looking ahead to taking the court in FIBA's flagship event on home soil.

FIBA: You were a free agent last summer and many teams wanted to sign you. What made you choose the Dallas Mavericks?
Calderon: I am sure that I made the right choice for my career by signing a long-term contract with the Mavs. I had some other teams interested, but I am very happy to have chosen to come to Dallas, as it is an excellent franchise. I really enjoy playing with talented teammates such as Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Monta Ellis and Shawn Marion. I am doing my best to help the team win games, and I feel great being coached by Rick Carlisle.

FIBA: Your season has been going very well so far.
Calderon: I feel very well and I am happy because I haven't been injured since the beginning of the season. I turned 32 years old a few months ago and I am not that young anymore, but I think that I have never been so fit in my entire career. That helps me in having so many responsibilities on the team and being able to spend that many minutes on the court every night.

FIBA: You're playing with Dirk Nowitzki, one of the best international players in basketball history.
Calderon: He is an incredible talent and one of the best shooters in basketball history. Dirk is able to shoot from every position on the court and it is fantastic to play with him. He is 35 years old, but he still plays at an incredibly high level. I would also like to say that he is a good teammate, a great leader and he makes his teammates plays better because he cares about the team more than the individual. Every coach would love to have a player like that on his roster.

FIBA: After a slow start to the season, the Mavericks are now ranked sixth in the highly competitive Western Conference.
Calderon: We had some difficulties at the beginning of the season mostly because we had to learn how to play together. A lot of new players were recruited and it was completely normal to go through this process. I think that we have been playing well over the last few weeks, but we can still do even better. We are currently in a spot to go to the playoffs, but there are still a lot of games to be played and things can change quickly as there are a lot of teams capable of reaching the first eight spots in the Western Conference. We need to keep working hard and believe in ourselves.

FIBA: You have achieved a lot of great results with the Spanish national team. How does it feel to be part of this successful generation?
Calderon: It is a pride and an honour for me to play for my country, but also to help put Spanish basketball on the world's basketball map. This generation has plenty of talents and has been making history by winning medals and titles almost every year since 2003. The group of players is fantastic and has been working hard to be one of the best teams of all time. I won a lot of titles and I hope that I will keep winning medals with Spain.

FIBA: The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup is only months away. What are your thoughts on playing in that championship at home?
Calderon: Every player would like to compete in a prestigious competition like the FIBA Basketball World Cup in his own country and be supported by the home fans. We have some of the best fans in the world and I am sure it is going to be a great competition. We like sports and we will have millions of people pushing us to give our best to try to win the title.

FIBA: Your fans can look forward to seeing you at Spain 2014?
Calderon: The competition is in the summer, I still have to finish my season in Dallas, but if I am in shape and not injured, I will be available for the team. I hope that every Spanish player will be fit and in shape in order to have the best team we can.

FIBA: Spain will face France, Brazil, Serbia, Iran and Egypt in Group A.
Calderon: It is the most difficult group of the Preliminary Round. France, Brazil and Serbia are very solid teams and they would do their best to try to beat us at home. I don't know a lot about Iran and Egypt, but I am sure they have talents. We need to respect every team and play every game with the same energy.

FIBA