Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (third from left) joins an already loaded Spanish national team. (FIBA EUROPE)

The final game of the 2011 European Championship turned into a huge block party for Serge Ibaka.

In his first major international competition wearing the colors of the Spanish national team, the 21-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder forward had half of Spain’s 10 blocked shots against France and helped Espana capture the EuroBasket title in Lithuania. Spain and France earned automatic berths for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Ibaka scored just four points in 21 minutes off the bench, but it was his stellar defense that keyed an impressive 98-85 victory for Spain, the second-best team in the world and the biggest threat to the United States next summer. Ibaka completely altered the game with three early monster blocks in the first half that powered Spain to a 36-26 lead.

Barcelona’s Juan Carlos Navarro led the Spaniards with a game-high 27 points. Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol added 17 points and 10 rebounds, while San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker paced France with 26 points.

The addition of the 6-foot-10 Ibaka gives Spain, which already boasts 7-footers Pau and Marc Gasol, the most formidable frontline in the world – even better than whatever the U.S. will put together next year. Ibaka prefers to face-up on offense, and he doesn’t mind giving way to the post to the Gasol brothers.

Ibaka calls Pau Gasol possibly the most talented center with the best fundamentals in the NBA. “It will be a dream to play with him,” Ibaka told the Associated Press back in July.

Flashback to the gold medal game against the U.S. in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in which Spain struggled to keep up with the Americans athletically, especially when LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony played power forward. With Ibaka on the roster, Spain will no longer have that issue.

Ibaka was granted Spanish nationality in July, clearing the way for him to help Spain defend its European championship. “Spain is a country that has given me a lot,” Ibaka told the Associated Press. “It will be an honor to give Spain back all that it has given me on the court.”

Ibaka was born in the Republic of Congo but played for Spanish clubs for three years before moving to the NBA in 2009. He maintains a residence in Barcelona.

Pau Gasol is the emotional leader of the Spanish national team. (FIBA EUROBASKET)

Pau Gasol took the brunt of the criticism during the 2011 NBA playoffs when the Lakers were swept out of the second round by eventual champion Dallas.

Gasol didn’t play his best during the series, and at one point he appeared so out of it that Lakers coach Phil Jackson was seen chastising his star forward basically telling the Spaniard to snap out of his funk.

Rumors swirled all over the Internet that Gasol was having issues with his girlfriend Silvia Lopez Castro, then it was compounded when teammate Shannon Brown tweeted that he was not having an affair with Pau’s girl (memo to
Shannon Brown: if nothing was going on then why tweet about it?)

L.A. Lakers star Pau Gasol with his girlfriend Silvia Lopez Castro. (GETTY IMAGES)

Gasol is one of the nicest NBA players you will ever meet, and something was clearly bothering him last season. More often than not, Pau wears his emotions on his sleeve and he needs to be highly engaged in order to be effective. So, it is important for Pau to regain his confidence and it starts with European Championships in Lithuanian.

Laker fans are hoping that playing for his country and being with familiar faces should help Gasol’s mental state. Sorta like going back home to your mom’s house for some good old-fashioned home cooking to clear your mind. As a bonus, Pau gets to play with his brother, Marc.

So far, the Gasols are rolling through the competition at the European Championships. With the Gasols in the post and international stars Juan Carlos Navarro and Ricky Rubio in the perimeter, Spain may have the most complete team at EuroBasket 2011.

In Spain’s 77-68 victory over Germany in the second round, the Gasol brothers combined for 43 points (Marc had 24 and Pau had 19) to down Dirk Nowitzki’s squad. Spain’s lone loss in the tournament came against Turkey, which is led by Hedo Turkoglu and Omer Asik.

As long as the Gasol brothers are firing on all cylinders, Spain should capture the gold medal at EuroBasket 2011 (although France and host nation Lithuanian are capable of derailing that plan). The top two teams in the tournament earn automatic berths to the 2012 London Olympics.

Tony Parker leads France to an impressive win over Dirk Nowitzki and Germany in pool play at EuroBasket 2011. (FIBA EUROPE)

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker appears to be in midseason form as he poured in 32 points and dished out six assists in leading France to an impressive 76-65 victory over Dirk Nowitzki and Germany in pool play of the 2011 European Championships in Lithuania.

Parker made 11 of 20 shots from the field in 32 minutes, including both of his 3-point attempts. He also converted eight of nine free throws and grabbed four rebounds from his point guard position. Nowitzki led the way for Germany with 20 points.

France improved to 3-0 in Group B, while Germany fell to 2-1. France also defeated Germany in EuroBasket 2009.

Parker, who endured a disappointing first-round exit in the NBA playoffs last spring, currently leads the tournament in scoring with a 28.0 average and is making 59% of his field goals. He is also averaging a tournament-best 7.0 assists per game. Parker was rumored to be on the trading block last season, but if he can stay healthy and play at a high level, it will be very difficult for San Antonio to get rid of him.

The 2007 NBA Finals MVP had some help on the offensive end, as Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum had 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah contributed eight points and seven rebounds. France also boasts Boris Diaw (Charlotte Bobcats) and Mickael Gelabale (formerly of the Seattle Sonics but now plays in Belgium), making this year’s French squad a serious contender for the EuroBasket title. The top two teams receive an automatic berth to the 2012 London Olympics.

Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman, arguably Germany’s second-best player, struggled from the field in his much anticipated matchup in the middle against Noah. Kaman made just four of nine shots and netted eight points.

Mike Fratello coaches the Ukrainian men's basketball team in EuroBasket 2011. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Mike Fratello is taking time off from his role as The Czar of the Telestrator on TV in order to fulfill his obligation as coach of Ukraine’s men’s national team.

Fratello, 64, dusts off his coaching clipboard at the 2011 European Championship, which started Aug. 31 in Lithuania and runs through Sept. 18. The Ukrainian Basketball Federation reached an agreement with the former Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies coach earlier this year, a stunning move considering Fratello hasn’t coached since 2007.

But once a coach is always a coach. Kind of like riding a bike, and The Czar should be able to make the adjustment. Besides, there’s absolutely no pressure on Fratello because Ukraine is not expected to medal at EuroBasket 2011.

The idea of Fratello becoming Ukraine’s coach was rooted all the way back during Fratello’s days with the Hawks when he coached Alexander Volkov (then a player on Russian’s national team). Volkov is now the head of Ukraine’s basketball federation and he reached out to his former coach to fill in an all important role for his country’s basketball program.

“He called me up one day and said he needed me to coach his team,” Fratello said on NBA TV back in July. “We kept talking and talking, and somewhere along the way I thought this would be an interesting challenge so I took the opportunity.”

Fratello added that it was a risky move for him because it’s tackling on a new culture and vastly different philosophy from a basketball standpoint. “What worked in the NBA may not work here,” he said. “We may not have the talent [or the athleticism of the NBA], but it’s a much more physical game over here. Very physical. They pass and cut so much harder, and much more ball movement. And you have guys who can make shots. The skill level is much higher than what you thought it would be.”

As for the language barrier? “I made sure to repeat to [the players], if you don’t understand me make sure you let me know and we’ll either say it differently or use one of the assistant coaches or one of the people around us everyday in the gym to break it down or repeat it over again,” Fratello said. “But most of them have done a pretty good job in understanding my language and what I’m trying to say from a basketball standpoint.

“It has been very difficult. You have to simplify things.”

Two players Fratello won’t have to worry about in terms of communication are center Kyrylo Fesenko and point guard Stiven Bertt. Fesenko plays for the Utah Jazz and Bertt is a point guard from New York.

Ukraine is in Group D with Slovenia, Russia, Belgium, Bulgaria and Georgia. Russia, led by Andrei Kirilenko, and Slovenia, led by Goran Dragic, are the top two teams in Group D.