ESP/USA/ARG - A mouthwatering build-up to London

BARCELONA (Olympics) - The Palau Sant Jordi has often played host to big, glitzy basketball games.

Back in 1992, this stadium in Barcelona was where the American Dream Team came together and fueled global interest in the sport like never before.

That side that had legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird dominated and won the gold medal.

In the years that followed, there have been European Championships and Euroleague Final Fours and even a friendly game featuring a Los Angeles Lakers team with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol against Gasol’s old team, Barcelona.

Barca won that clash played on the 7th of October, 2010, 92-88.

With the first FIBA Basketball World Cup to be held in Spain in 2014, the country's sports bosses have been keen to promote hoops at every turn.

So it's no surprise that the Spanish Basketball Federation has highlighted the upcoming pre-Olympic friendly between the United States and Spain on 24 July as one of the great sporting spectacles of this year.

The contest will effectively be a look at the country's teams that will play at the London Games.

The two sides met in a thrilling gold-medal game in 2008 which the United States won, 118-107.

Adding even more glamour to the few days in Barcelona at the Palau Sant Jordi, where the games will be played, is that Argentina are taking part.

Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola and Argentina, the gold-medal winners of the 2004 Olympics, are third in FIBA World Rankings behind the United States and Spain and they will face the Americans on 22 July.

“This will be, without doubt, one of the most significant sports events of 2012 in Spain," the nation's basketball federation (FEB) president Jose Luis Saez said.

"Barcelona is a cultural and sports reference in Spain, a city that shined with Jordan, Magic, Bird and so many other NBA legends that made up the famous Dream Team.

"Twenty years ago, the world discovered the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics and now, we are preparing to welcome the USA again as they take on Spain and Argentina. The intensity of these games will ensure the best competition you can see in a basketball court.”

There is a lot of recent history between the three great basketball nations.

Argentina beat the United States in the Semi-Finals of the 2004 Athens Games before capturing gold while two years later, the USA won their bronze-medal encounter at the FIBA World Championship in Japan.

In 2008, the United States defeated Argentina in the Semi-Finals of the Beijing Games before downing Spain in the Final.

That continued a frustrating run for the Spaniards against the USA because they went unbeaten in the Preliminary Round at the 2004 Olympics before falling, 102-94, to the United States in the Quarter-Finals.

The United States also won their Preliminary Round encounter against Spain at the 2008 Olympics.

The two were on court for a title showdown at the 2006 World Championship when the United States were upset by Greece, 101-95.

Spain then defeated Argentina, 75-74, to advance to the Final where they hammered the Greeks.

Jerry Colangelo, the USA Basketball chairman, expects a magical atmosphere for the Americans' friendly games against Argentina and Spain.

“Barcelona is a wonderful city that holds incredible historical significance for USA Basketball, and these games will be an important step in our quest this summer,” he said.

“The USA has built a tremendous on-court rivalry with both Spain and Argentina over recent years, and there is no better form of preparation for us than to play against two of the world’s best teams in what I am sure will be highly competitive games.”

FIBA