Scola on retiring from international basketball: ‘It’s time for new faces to come’ / News - Basketnews.com

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It’s official. Luis Scola is retiring from international basketball and today’s Tokyo Olympic Games quarterfinal against Australia was his last wearing Argentina’s jersey.

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"It's been fun. It's time for new faces to come. It's our time to go," Scola said on retiring from international basketball on the same day as Gasol brothers.

At the end of the game, both teams showed a brilliant gesture to the Argentinian legend. With 51 seconds remaining in the game, Scola was substituted and got minute-long applause from both team players.

Scola himself, including few other Argentinian players, couldn’t hold their tears.

"It was a very emotional moment, and I was not expecting that,” Scola said about the applauses. “I didn't think too much about the moment before. I tried to stay away from all that. I thought we were going to win the game.

“It was a very special moment, and I appreciate it - this Australian team - the way they acted with everybody, with every player on the court. It was a very nice recognition. I am very proud, and I enjoyed it,” Scola added.

41-year-old Argentinian also admitted that it’s very likely that he played the last game of his astonishing career.

"I just came here to play. Obviously, I am 41, and most likely, I won't play anymore,” Scola said. “I don't think I have the energy to do the things that I had to do to play at the level I want to play. It's just a matter of time. But most likely, I won't play (anymore).”

Argentina’s head coach Sergio Hernandez had nothing to say but only nice words about Scola.

"With Luis, I learned how to honor life,” Hernandez said. “It's not all about skill; it's about work. Beating the other team is not what it's all about. That's what I learned from Luis. He wanted to play until the last second; he would prefer to play defense in those last 40 seconds rather than listen to the applause. He honored life; he inspired the whole world, that's his legacy."

Player of the Game EFF 19 Jock Landale Points 12 Accuracy 4-10 Rebounds 7 Assists 5

The Australian star Patty Mills also spoke about the farewell to Scola and appreciated him both as a basketball player and a human being.

"It's the least we could do - to have a moment there for him,” Patty Mills said after the game. “It was a rock in the throat type of situation. We always talk about how great he is as a basketball player, but he is an even greater human. A family man. And we now wish him all the best in this next chapter of his life."

However, Mills also said that the job is not done for him and his team. Australia will meet Team USA on Thursday.

"The message to the team is we haven't done s*** yet,” Mills said. “For us, to be able to be the best, we have to beat the best. We have an opportunity in front of us right now to take that next step.”

“This is a great challenge and a challenge that we have prepared for a long time. We're experienced in the situation now, and there is no other choice for us here, so that's what we're dealing with. The focus is still there, and it is there is on only one thing,” Mills finished.

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