Dennis Schroder etched his name in FIBA lore with one of the best closing performances you’ll ever see.

The 31-year-old point guard scored six points in the final minute to lead Germany to its first EuroBasket title since 1993. Germany defeated Turkey 88-83 in the gold medal game held at Riga, Latvia.

The win comes two years after Deutschland — largely with the same core group of players — won the FIBA World Cup title in 2023 in Manila. The rare double of winning the World Cup and European championships boosts Germany into the top tier in FIBA, and it could now lay claim to the title of second-best team in the world behind only the United States.

“We never shy away from the big moments. It’s not just Franz, it’s not just me, it’s the whole team,” said Schroder, who finished the final with 16 points, a game-high 12 assists, and he was named MVP of EuroBasket 2025. Schroder became only the seventh player to win MVP at both EuroBasket and the FIBA World Cup. The other six were Sergei Belov, Drazen Dalipagic, Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol. All six are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The German captain was also named to the all-tournament team, joining teammate Franz Wagner, Turkey’s Alperen Sengun, Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic.

“To be a World Cup winner and European champ, it’s big time,” said Schroder, who averaged 20.3 points and 7.2 assists for the entire tournament.

Winning EuroBasket elevates Schroder’s profile. His NBA credentials may not be up to par with other established stars like LeBron James or Kevin Durant — he’s now on his ninth NBA team in 12 seasons — but he’s building an impressive FIBA resume.

And his performance down the stretch in the gold medal match against Turkey was one for the ages.

After Shane Larkin put Turkey ahead by one point with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, Schroder answered seconds later with a lefty layup high off glass over Sengun to give Germany an 84-83 lead. Then with under 24 seconds remaining and the shot clock winding down, Schroder calmly pulled up from free throw line and swished a rainbow jumper over Ercan Osmani to put the Germans up by three with 18.4 seconds left.

Turkey had an opportunity to tie but Sengun’s desperation 3-point heave barely drew iron. Schroder grabbed the rebound and iced the game with two free throws.

Germany joins the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Spain as the only nations to hold both FIBA World Cup and FIBA EuroBasket trophies at the same time.

Turkey reached the final for only the second time in 25 years after dismantling Greece 94-68 in the semifinals. Osmani starred with 18 of his 28 points in the first half alone, and Sengun added 15 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.

Meanwhile, Germany booked their spot in the final after beating Finland 98-86. Schroder led the way with 26 points and 12 assists, with Franz Wagner adding 23 points in the win. Schroder’s 12 assists set a new EuroBasket record in the semifinals. Lauri Markkanen was held to 16 points (2-for-9 from 3-point and 6-for-17 from the field), eight points below his scoring average in the tournament. In two games against Germany, Markkannen was held to 13.5 points and 2-for-14 from behind the arc.

ONE-MAN SHOWS
EuroBasket 2025 produced many outstanding individual performances. From Luka Doncic’s historic scoring games to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s individual brilliance, the best basketball players in the world showed up and showed out in Riga.

Giannis put Greece on his back with a 30-point, 17-rebound performance in the bronze medal match against Finland. Giannis also added six assists, giving him a 20-10-5 stat line for the fourth time in the tournament. No other player has more than three over the last 30 years of EuroBasket.

It was Greece’s first EuroBasket medal since winning bronze in 2009. Head coach Vassilis Spanoulis was on the last Greek team that made the podium in EuroBasket.

Giannis called winning a bronze medal for his country “one of his biggest accomplishments.”

“I know I’ve won an NBA championship, but there’s no feeling like representing your national team and representing 12 million people that breathe and live this national team. This is probably the greatest accomplishment so far in my life,” the Milwaukee Bucks star said.

The Greek Freak scored 37 points, going 18-for-23 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading Greece to an 84-79 win over Israel in the Round of 16. Only one other player on Greece scored in double figures (Kostas Sloukas had 11 points).

Luka Doncic’s one-man show continued in the knockout stage as the L.A. Lakers superstar dropped 42 points on 11-for-19 from the field, including 5-for-11 from 3-point, and had 10 rebounds in carrying Slovenia past Italy 84-77. The 42 points are five points off Doncic’s EuroBasket high mark of 47 against France in 2022.

Slovenia was eliminated by eventual EuroBasket champ Germany in the quarterfinals. In a loss, Doncic dropped 39 points on 11-for-25 shooting from the field and hit five 3-pointers. He also added 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Doncic finished with a tournament-best 34.7 points per game, becoming only the third player to average north of 30 points. Doncic’s 34.7 average is the third-best mark in tournament history. Only Greek legend Nikos Galis had a better tournament scoring average. Galis averaged 37.0 in 1987 and 35.6 in 1989.

SHOCKING UPSETS
In the most stunning result of the tournament, gold medal favorite Serbia was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Finland despite 33 points from Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. The Joker is still searching for that elusive FIBA gold medal, and this is the second straight EuroBasket tournament that Serbia went out in the Round of 16. Serbia lost to Italy in the Round of 16 in 2022, and now they bow out in the same stage in 2025, this time to Finland.

Finland got a team-high 29 points from Lauri Markkanen and timely 3-pointers from Elias Valtonen. The Fins pounded Serbia on the boards to the tune of 45-36 advantage, including 20 offensive rebounds.

Finland started on fire and went up 11-1 and extended the lead to 16-5 midway through the first quarter.

“They played a great game. From the start we didn’t come ready. I just wasn’t ready from the jump,” said Serbia forward Nikola Jovic, who plays for the Miami Heat. “Their 20 offensive rebounds were just unacceptable. We knew what they were doing, we prepared well, we watched film, still they managed to just better and more physical than us.”

The other major upset in the Round of 16 was Georgia beating France 80-70. The Paris Olympics silver medalists led for just four minutes as Georgia, behind the outside shooting of Bayern Munich guard Kamar Baldwin. Baldwin, who played college ball at Butler but went undrafted, picked a perfect timing for his EuroBasket career-high, scoring 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field.

The most talked about “revenge body” in the NBA since Shaquille O’Neal dropped a boatload of weight after he was traded from the L.A. Lakers to the Miami Heat in 2004 will be on full display at EuroBasket 2025.

Armed with a brand new body and brand new three-year, $165 million contract extension with the L.A. Lakers, Luka Doncic will be one of the biggest storylines to watch at the FIBA European championships, co-hosted by Cyprus, Finland, Poland, and Latvia. The finals will be held at Riga, Latvia.
Doncic’s body transformation isn’t the only thing different about him. The Lakers superstar is also more assertive, and his Slovenia teammates are taking notice.

“He’s embracing the challenge of being the face of a francise in the NBA and here. His words carry weight,” Slovenia guard Klemen Prepelic told SportKlub about his longtime national team teammate.

“You can already see signs of the new Luka,” Prepelic added. “It’s probably something expected of him by the Lakers as well. He’s the leader now. His voice counts the most.”

Doncic was basically fat-shamed by his former general manager, Dallas Mavericks executive Nico Harrison, when Harrison went on his why-did-you-trade-Luka explanation tour. Harrison said the main reason why the Mavs shipped Luka to L.A. was because of Doncic’s questionable work habits and conditioning.

Doncic used it as motivation as he worked himself into the best shape of his basketball career. The 26-year-old global star shed some serious pounds by committing to an offseason training program and a stricter diet. The end result was a body transformation that nearly broke the internet.
Images with the hashtag “Slim Luka” surfaced all over social media after Men’s Health published photos of an almost unrecognizable Doncic and his newly ripped body. Practically everyone with a TV show and a podcast couldn’t stop talking about it.

Doncic will put his slender body to the test as he leads Slovenia against a stacked tournament field that includes FIBA powerhouses Serbia, France and reigning World Cup champions Germany.

Here are the teams to watch at EuroBasket:

Teams with Star Power but Lack Firepower
SLOVENIA – Luka Doncic was only a teenager when Slovenia stunned the hoops world and won EuroBasket in 2017. But that was eight years ago and Goran Dragic is no longer around to help Luka. Slovenia enters the EuroBasket 2025 with a top-10 rating in the EuroBasket power rankings but the road to the title got tougher after forward Vlatko Cancar, formerly of the Denver Nuggets, withdrew from the competition, leaving the squad extremely thin in the frontcourt. Slovenia will be outmanned and outgunned.

Despite not having the necessary firepower, they have one nuke in the form of Luka Doncic. Any team with Doncic can’t be counted out because the L.A. Lakers superstar is capable of carrying an entire nation on his back.

GREECE – If Luka Doncic is the center of the Slovenian universe, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the solar energy that powers the Greek national squad. The two-time NBA MVP from the Milwaukee Bucks by himself is capable of backpacking Hellas and carry it out of the group stage and into the knockout round. But he won’t be alone in this fight. Giannis will be joined by two of his brothers, Kostas and Thanasis. Giannis plays better when he has family around him.

Tournament Dark Horses
TURKEY – Turkey drew the short end of the stick when it was placed in the same group as Serbia. Despite being in a tough group, Turkey has enough firepower to finish second in the group and qualify for the knockout stage. The head of the Turkish squad is Houston Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun. The 22-year-old big man is coming off a solid NBA season (19 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists) and he’s primed to announce his presence at the FIBA stage. Sengun has plenty of help on the frontcourt. Adem Bona carved out a solid role as a rotational player with the Philadelphia 76ers and he’s coming off a strong showing for the Sixers at the NBA summer league. Cedi Osman, who played six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and now playing for Panathinaikos in Greece, and Furkan Korkmaz (played seven seasons with the 76ers) provide Turkey with two outstanding shooters. Shane Larkin — son of baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin — is the team’s starting point and might the most important player. If Larkin has a strong tournament, Turkey could be in the medal round.

ITALY – The Italians are entering the tournament with plenty of momentum, with one of their wins in the friendlies coming against Kristaps Porzingis (Atlanta Hawks) and Latvia. Italy is in Group C with Spain and Greece. Spain isn’t the same basketball power it once was and it’s undergoing a changing of the guard while Greece is beatable if Giannis has a poor outing. Italy’s roster doesn’t have the star power but it has solid NBA-level talent. Simone Fontecchio and Nico Melli lead a balanced Azzurri squad capable of advancing past the group stage and into the knockout round.

Top 3 Teams Competing for the Podium
3. FRANCE – Despite the absence of Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and Nic Batum, France remains one of the top contenders because of its incredible talent depth. France will definitely miss Wemby’s game-changing skills, Gobert’s defense and Batum’s leadership, but there is no talent shortage on this year’s EuroBasket squad. Les Bleus fields a talented roster full of current NBA players — Bilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards), Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Guerschon Yabusele (New York Knicks) — and former NBA players like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Theo Maledon. France has so much depth the team cut former New York Knick guard Frank Ntilikina, Moussa Diabate (Hornets) and Ousmane Dieng (OKC Thunder). With Wemby, Gobert and Batum not on the squad, there is a void that could be filled by younger French studs such as Risacher and Sarr to step out of the shadows of their more famous veterans and get their own shine.

2. GERMANY – Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner headline a battle tested German squad that brings back the core group that won gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila. Andreas Obst, one of the best shooters in the German Bundesliga, joins Schroder in the backcourt, giving the Germans a superb 1-2 punch at point guard and shooting guard. Steady 3-and-D wing Isaac Bonga and NBA veteran center Daniel Theis round out the core unit that won the FIBA World Cup. Leading scorer Franz Wagner will be tasked with a bigger role, especially with his brother Mo Wagner sidelined as he’s recovering from a torn ACL. Tristan da Silva, Franz’s teammate with the Orlando Magic, might be an X factor and could be part of the finishing lineup. The pressure is on first-year coach Alex Mumbru to maintain the momentum built up over the last two years.

1. SERBIA – With a stacked roster that includes three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, the Serbians (rated No. 2 in the FIBA world rankings) are the heavy favorites to reach the final in Riga and hoist the EuroBasket trophy.

The Serbians have very little weaknesses and they are simply too good and too big to fail. They have a surplus of size and length, from guards to forwards to centers. Head coach Svetislav Pesic has a plethora of shooters like Bogdan Bogdanovic (L.A. Clippers), Aleksa Avramovic (Dubai), and Marko Guduric (Olimpia Milano).

Serbia has great size up front with 6-10 Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat), 6-11 Tristan Vukcevic (Washington Wizards), 6-11 Filip Petrusev, 7-0 Nikola Milutinov. And they have The Joker, the best center in the world.

Serbia will compete against host nation Latvia, Turkey, Estonia, Portugal and Czechia in Group A. Serbia should advance to the knockout round as Group A winner, and should be one of the finalists in Latvia.

Jokic led Serbia to a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the Denver Nuggets superstar has never won a gold medal for his country in FIBA competition. Winning EuroBasket would be a tremendous accomplishment for The Joker, and this unit might be the best Serbian team Jokic has ever been a part of in his international career. This is the year when Jokic breaks through and finally captures that elusive gold medal for Serbia.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow and subscribe to his YouTube channel at @onemanfastbreak1.

Kevin Durant averaged 33 points per game in Team USA's final three games at the FIBA World Championship. He scored 28 in the final against Turkey. (FIBA)

Move over LeBron. Step aside D-Wade. Make room Kobe. Kevin Durant is coming fast and furious to join basketball’s Mt. Rushmore.

After leading the United States to a 81-64 victory over host nation Turkey in the 2010 FIBA final, the 21-year-old forward of the Oklahoma City Thunder accomplished something LeBron James and Dwyane Wade couldn’t do four years ago, which is win a World Championship.

By capturing basketball’s version of the World Cup, the Americans earned an automatic berth to the 2010 Olympics. It was the first FIBA title for the U.S. since 1994, ending a 16-year drought and reasserting itself as the most dominant team in the world.

The U.S. couldn’t have done it without Durant, who was named the MVP of the FIBA tournament voted by international media representatives at Istanbul’s Sinan Erdem Dome. He put an exclamation point to his first trip to the World Championship with a 28-point performance in the final against Turkey.

While his teammates struggled from the field (1-for-10 from 3-point range in the first half) early against Turkey, Durant was on point and was unfazed by the enormity of the stage. He converted five of nine 3-pointers in the first half and scored 20 of his team’s 42 points. The reigning NBA scoring champion made seven of 13 3-point shots and 10 of 17 field goals.

“He elevated. He was on a pretty high floor already but he went close to being in the penthouse,” U.S. head coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Durant, who averaged nearly 23 points per game for the tournament, but 33 the last three games.

“The beauty about Kevin is he’s pure. He’s not trying to do anything except play basketball and get better,” Krzyzewski added. “I love coaching him and he learned how to be a really great international player in the last five weeks which will help him be an even better NBA player. He’s very genuine. He’s a special guy and definitely a special player.”

The more you watch Durant and the more he convinces you he now deserves to be included in the conversation of “best player in the world.” The fact that he has embraced the role of go-to guy at the World Championship shows that, despite his age, he’s ready to challenge Kobe’s NBA title and LeBron’s MVP.

Former NBA star Steve Smith, now an analyst for NBATV, has dubbed Durant “Baby Ice” for having a little George Gervin in his game and possessing a very cool and calm demeanor. And the “Durantula” nickname came about because he’s freakishly long (6 feet 11 inches tall with a 7 feet 5 wingspan). I’m suggesting a third moniker: Clutch.

After averaging “just” 17 points in the preliminary round, Durant has turned it up in the knockout round, scoring 33 points against Russia in the quarterfinals and 38 against Lithuania. His 38-point outburst against Lithuania in the semifinals broke Carmelo Anthony’s single-game U.S. record set in 2006.

“He is so smooth, he makes it so dang simple. And the shots that he missed could have gone in. He could have had 60,” newly nominated FIBA Hall-of-Famer Cheryl Miller said of Durant, who set the tone in the semifinal game by scoring 12 of USA’s 14 points in the first five minutes of the game and finished with 24 points in the first half. He converted 14 of 25 shots from the field and also grabbed nine rebounds.

“When a guy is doing that well you have to keep getting him the ball. He just had an incredible scoring run,” said Krzyzewski, who predicted when the tournament started that he needs Durant to be the go-to guy and at some point Team USA will lean heavily on him when things get hot and heavy.

Coach K proved to be prophetic.

Durant turned it up a notch when the stakes were highest. Aside from being named MVP, he broke the American record for most points in a single game and for an entire tournament.

The humble superstar collected the MVP trophy and was also handed a one of a kind Tissot T-Touch Expertwatch by Francois Thiebaud, the president of FIBA Global Partners Tissot.

Durant was joined by Serbia guard Milos Teodosic, Turkey’s Hidayet Turkoglu, Lithuania’s Linas Kleiza and Argentina’s Luis Scola on the All-Tournament team.

Now that he has conquered the world, Durant sets his sights on conquering the NBA.

Watch out Kobe. Look out LeBron. The Durantula is coming.

Kerem Tunceri (10) celebrates Turkey's 83-82 victory over Serbia in the semifinals of the FIBA World Championship in Istanbul. (FIBA)

Lucky or not, host nation Turkey will be competing for a gold medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Down 82-81 to Serbia with 4.3 seconds to play, Turkey coach Bogdan Tanjevic’s designed a play for his best player, Hedo Turkoglu. But as the Phoenix Suns forward made his move toward the sideline he lost control of the ball. Luckily for Turkoglu and Turkey, his teammate Kerem Tunceri was in the right place at the right time, as the Efes Pilsen guard picked up the loose ball and drove in for an uncontested layup with 0.5 seconds remaining in the game.

Serbia had one last opportunity to win but Novica Velickovic’s shot near the rim was blocked by Semih Erden and Turkey’s players stormed the court to celebrate the country’s monumental 83-82 victory before a raucous crowd in Istanbul.

“I had the lay-up so I took it. In the last four seconds, you don’t see anything, you don’t hear anything. It was perhaps the most important game for us,” said Tunceri, who finished with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He also recorded five of his team’s 10 assists, and his dribble penetration was key to Turkey’s fourth-quarter surge.

“You think the last four seconds were down to tactics, it was nothing except luck. Our thoughts were simply on getting the basket. We were lucky tonight, they played better than us. It was a miracle drive. This was the toughest game for us,” said Tanjevic, whose team will take on the United States in the final.

Both the U.S. and Turkey finished the preliminary round undefeated. The Americans, led by Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant, have stepped it up a notch in the knockout stage as they’ve posted double-digit wins over Angola, Russia and Lithuania. Meanwhile, Turkey was pushed to the limit by a very tough Serbian team, led by Milos Teodosic (12 points), Marko Keselj (18 points) and  Nenad Krstic (15 points, seven rebounds).

“We tried hard, we fought,” Tunceri added. “I think it was a fascinating game. From the beginning of tournament we have been fighting. At crucial stages, we went behind but we bounced back.”

Turkoglu led Turkey with 16 points, but he got plenty of help from 7-foot center Omer Asik and and 6-11 forward Erden, who combined for 14 points and 10 rebounds. Asik will play for the Chicago Bulls this season, while Erden will don the Boston Celtics jersey. Both big men should present some big problems for the United States in the final.

With the weight of an entire nation on their shoulders, Turkey did not play their best in the first half and trailed for much of the second half. But Tunceri was clutch in the fourth quarter. With Turkey down 75-71 and a little over four minutes left to play, he scored five consecutive points to edge them in front and make a game of it.

Serbia took a 42-35 into halftime, thanks to Keselj’s outside shooting and Krstic’s inside scoring. But the momentum switched to Turkey’s side in the second half, outscoring Serbia 25-21 in the third and 23-19 in the fourth.

“It was a very tough game tonight,” said Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic. “We won the first half by seven points but we had less control in the second half and unfortunately, we lost our concentration because of the pressure in the last couple of minutes. Maybe luck turned against us with Tunceri’s basket in the last seconds.

“I think the Serbian team was better tonight. We deserved the win. We have to unite and prepare a small final for third place. I wish the best for Turkish team.”

All post-game comments were courtesy of FIBA.com

Without a doubt, having international superstars such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili in the tournament would certainly boost interest. For whatever reason, all of them have decided to sit out this year’s world championships. They’re all entitled to a well-deserved break especially Nowitzki, Gasol and Ginobili, who have given up countless summers to play with their national teams.

However, one man’s loss is another man’s gain. OneManFastBreak.net publisher and editor Joel Huerto picks the five best players at the 2010 FIBA World Championship:

LUIS SCOLA, Argentina, forward: The 6-foot-9 power forward has been arguably the best player in the tournament and is the biggest reason why Argentina went 4-1 in Group A. He is averaging a tournament-best 29 points per game and leads the team with seven rebounds. Despite not being blessed with great athletic ability and size, Scola is able to dominate by being crafty. He has a very high basketball IQ and is seldom caught out of position. He has a nice face-up jump shot at the free throw line, and has an array of very efficient low-post moves that doesn’t require a lot of jumping. A veteran of countless international competitions and a member of Argentina’s gold-medal team at the 2004 Olympics in Greece, Scola is also a tough-minded individual who doesn’t back down from anyone. He is not considered to be a lock-down defender, but he moves his feet well on defense and takes charges in the lane.

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KEVIN DURANT, United States, forward: Though Durant says Chauncey Billups is the leader of Team USA, it is quite obvious that the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star is the reason why the Americans have a great shot at winning gold in Turkey. Durant could easily average 30 points at the FIBA Worlds, but because the U.S. is so deep and talented he doesn’t have to be a volume shooter every game. Coach Mike Krzyzewski has been playing Durant at power forward much of the tournament to create some major mismatches. The 21-year-old scoring wizard ranks fifth in scoring at 17.8 per game, but he’s only averaging 24 minutes of playing time. Durant also ranks second on the team in rebounds (6.2), just a shade behind team leader Kevin Love (6.6). Durant’s value will only increase as the knockout round approaches, and the young superstar should be up to the challenge.

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LINAS KLEIZA, Lithuania, forward: The latest in the long line of great Lithuanian ball players, the former Denver Nuggets and current Toronto Raptors sharpshooter is just a notch below Durant among the top scorers at the FIBA Worlds. Kleiza, who is tied with Argentina’s Carlos Delfino at 17.4 points per game, is making 58% of his field goals and one of the main reasons why Lithuania went 5-0 in pool competition and finished first in Group D. The 6-8 forward is a very confident player, and even when his jump shot is off he always seems to find a way to score. He’s got a true scorer’s mentality and he is not afraid to take and make the big shot.

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ERSAN ILYASOVA, Turkey, forward: Lost in the giant shadows cast by countrymen Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur, the rest of the world are beginning to take notice of Ilyasova. The 6-10 forward from the Milwaukee Bucks is having a coming-out party of sorts at the FIBA Worlds. His 16.5 points and nine rebounds per game are solid, but his most impressive statistic is his shooting percentage from behind the 3-point line. In four games, the 23-year-old marksman converted 12 of 20 3-pointers for an eye-popping 60%. He saved his best game against the best competition when he lit up Greece for 26 points on 6-for-6 3-point shots. Thanks to Ilyasova, the host nation went 5-0 in Group C.

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VASSILIS SPANOULIS, Greece, guard: Guard play has been outstanding throughout the tournament, especially at point. The U.S. has gotten great play from Billups, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, Spain has a budding super stud in Ricky Rubio, Brazil is in the round of 16 because of the steady hand of Marcelo Huertas and Serbia is fueled by Milos Teodosic. But when you look at the overall picture, putting a premium on leadership and offensive efficiency, there is nobody better than Spanoulis. The 6-4 point guard leads Greece in points per game (14.0) and 3-point field goal percentage (46%). And his 52% shooting percentage from the field is amazing for a guard. His 2.2 assists per game doesn’t do him justice because he’s one of the best pick-and-roll guards in the world. Spanoulis is Greece’s barometer. When he plays well, Greece wins. When he doesn’t (like against Turkey), Greece loses.

Photos courtesy of FIBA.com

Argentina forward Luis Scola is averaging 28 points per game at the 2010 World Championship. (FIBA)

Don’t cry for Argentina just yet.

Even though the South Americans don’t have their best player, Manu Ginobili, in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, the 2004 Olympic gold-medalists are still a threat to contend for a medal in Turkey.

Luis Scola has become the unquestionable leader of the team and he having a very good tournament thus far.

The 6-foot-9 power forward – who recently signed a five-year deal with the Houston Rockets reportedly worth $47 million – is the engine that drives Argentina’s basketball factory. He’s a tough-minded player with an array of low-post moves. And even though Scola is not a very gifted athlete, he makes up for it with smarts and grit.

Scola scored 32 points to help Argentina beat Angola, 91-70, in a Group A game Monday, essentially securing the Argentines a place in the second round at the World Championship. Scola is averaging a tournament-best 28 points per game and a team-best seven boards. It wouldn’t be farfetched to say that Scola is one of the five best players at the FIBA level.

He scored 17 of Argentina’s 23 points in the first quarter against Angola as the South Americans built a three-point lead. He finished the half with 21 points as Argentina led 45-32 at halftime. In an 88-79 victory over Jordan on Wednesday, Scola netted a game-high 30 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field.

The other half of Argentina’s 1-2 punch is Carlos Delfino. The Milwaukee Bucks guard lit up Angola for 22 points and then scored 18 against Jordan. The streak shooter is capable of carrying Argentina for long stretches and he’s also a very good ball-handler and defender.

Delfino is finally getting an opportunity to shine after playing in the shadows of Ginobili and Andres Nocioni in previous major international competitions. The 6-5 guard is averaging 18 points, five rebounds and almost four assists.

The other Argentine with NBA experience is Fabricio Oberto, who won a championship ring with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. Oberto spent four seasons in San Antonio and played for the Washington Wizards last season.

Point guard Pablo Prigioni is a veteran guard with plenty of international experience. He leads the team in assists at 4.7 and he allows Delfino to play off the ball, in which he’s more effective.

Argentina (4-0) appears to be on track to finish Group A in first place, with only Serbia standing in the way of a perfect round. Regardless of how it does against Serbia, Argentina will be a tough out in the knockout round.

Leandro Barbosa scored 14 points for Brazil against the United States, but missed the one that could have tied the game at the buzzer. (FIBA)

Despite the absence of forwards Nene and Anderson Varejao, Brazil came within a basket of tying the United States at the end of regulation in Monday’s Group B matchup in the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Fortunately for the Americans, Leandro Barbosa took the point-blank shot and – not surprisingly – missed. It was essentially a layup, and Barbosa blew it. He played well when his team was rolling, scoring eight points and making three of his five field-goal attempts in the first quarter. But when it mattered most, he crumbled under pressure. Barbosa shot just 2-for-13 the rest of the game and 3-for-13 from 3-point range.

Playing “small” in “big” games has haunted Barbosa for much of his NBA career, and it was probably the reason why he was traded this offseason from Phoenix to Toronto. During his time with the Suns when the team was out in front and playing loose, Barbosa (aka The Brazilian Blur) was at his best: penetrating, dishing, scoring. He is one of the best front-runners in the NBA.

“Leandro Barbosa is one of the best international players in the world,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski told FIBA.com.

At times, when The Brazilian Blur has it going, he’s nearly unstoppable. A career 12-point scorer in the NBA, Barbosa can score on anyone, and his first step maybe one of the quickest in the world.

But when the game gets in a halfcourt set and every possession is valued, Barbosa becomes tentative and his ball tends to get a little heavy. That’s Leandro Barbosa in a nutshell.

He had an opportunity to bail out his teammate Marcelo Huertas , who missed the first free throw and had to intentionally miss the second with time winding down. Huertas found Barbosa near the basket for the game-tying shot, but The Brazilian Blur got a little blurry and blinked. He missed a bunny!

Had he made THAT SHOT against the U.S., he could have been the hero of the tournament thus far and given his country an incredible opportunity for a monumental upset.

Had he made THAT SHOT, the Suns could rescind the trade (OK, maybe not).

But, he missed.

The United States escaped with a 70-68 victory and remained undefeated. Meanwhile, after winning its first two ballgames, the Brazilians have dropped their last two. They lost 80-77 on Wednesday to Slovenia, dropping them to third place in Group B.

Nicolas Batum goes up for a shot against Canada. The Portland Trail Blazers forward is averaging 15 points per game for the French national team. (FIBA)

With Les Bleus still reeling from the debacle that occurred at the World Cup in South Africa, the French basketball team is doing its best to bring some much needed amour and dignite back to the country.

Through the first three games at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, France is in first place with a perfect 3-0 record, including a stunning opening-day victory over heavily favored Spain.

More surprisingly, France is doing all this with its so-called “B” team.

With Tony Parker, Joakim Noah and Mickael Pietrus – arguably Les Bleus’ three best players – sitting out the World Championships and Boris Diaw looking overweight and out of shape (again!), France wasn’t considered contenders and expectations were low after getting destroyed by the United States during the Nike World Basketball Festival in New York.

But one game changed the entire outlook of the team.

In Saturday’s opener against defending world champ Spain, France pulled a 72-66 upset thanks to outstanding performances by Nicolas Batum (14), Alain Koffi (11), Mickael Gelabale (16) and Andrew Albicy (13).

Batum, who plays forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, has been France’s best player at the World Championship. He almost single-handedly lifted France to victory over Canada, 68-63, on Tuesday, scoring 24 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

“What was great was that we had the courage to stay in the game,” French coach Vincent Collet told FIBA.com. “We held them to seven points in the last quarter. That’s why we won the game, and Nico (Batum) had a great game.”

Batum was at his best during crunch time, as 17 of his points came in the second half. Canada’s Levon Kendall – who missed two wide open 3-pointers to tie the game deep in the fourth – finished with 15 points, while teenage sensation Kelly Olynyk finished with 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting.

The guard play has been a pleasant surprise for France, which was thought to be the team’s weakness without Parker. But point guards Yannick Bokolo and Andrew Albicy have been solid, and shooting guard Gelabale has played well on both ends. Bokolo, who plays for French club Gravelines Dunkerque, is a 6-foot-3 physical guard who, unlike Parker, is not a liability on defense. Albicy (5-10) doesn’t have a lot of size, but he brings a nice change of pace from Bokolo. Gelabale played three seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics before returning to Cholet.

And even though Diaw looks like he’s been hanging out at In-N-Out Burger too many times this offseason, the Charlotte Bobcats’ forward has been a big player on offense, mainly with his passing. Against Canada, Diaw had eight points, six rebounds and five assists.

Koffi and Ian Mahinmi have done a decent job in the middle. Koffi is averaging 11 points and five rebounds, while Mahinmi – who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks – is averaging seven points and four rebounds.

France is probably not going to win the gold medal in Turkey, but at least the basketball team is doing a lot better than the shamed soccer team.

Kevin Durant (right) scored 14 points in Team USA's 106-78 victory over Croatia in the opener. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

When training camp started a month ago, Eric Gordon was a longshot to make the United States national team. But with each passing scrimmage and exhibition game, it became more and more evident that the L.A. Clippers guard had the perfect game to play against international competition.

Gordon made it extremely difficult for team officials to cut him, and he has rewarded head coach Mike Krzyzewski and USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo with some really games the last couple of weeks. Gordon led the Americans with 16 points off the bench and made four 3-point shots in Team USA’s 106-78 victory over Croatia in Saturday’s opener at the FIBA World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey.

After a slow start in the first quarter when Croatia trailed by only two at 22-20, the Americans began to pull away, using a 12-0 run that was spearheaded by Gordon and Kevin Durant. Durant, who finished with 14 points, buried a 3-pointer to start the quarter and then Gordon’s back-to-back 3-pointers gave the U.S. a 14-point cushion.

The U.S. outscored Croatia, 26-6, in the second quarter.

Gordon was 4-for-6 from behind the 3-point line, which is 3 feet shorter than the NBA line. The U.S. shot 55% from the field and converted 12 of 30 3-pointers. Chauncey Billups, who started the game along with Derrick Rose, Durant, Andre Iguodala and Lamar Odom, finished with 12 points. Russell Westbrook and Rudy Gay each had 10 points off the bench. Kevin Love led the U.S. in rebounds with 10 in just 13 minutes.

Even though the U.S. fields a team with only one legitimate center (Tyson Chandler), the lack of size didn’t affect them too much against the Croatians, who were led by Bojan Bogdanovic (17 points), Marko Popovic (16) and Ante Tomic (12).

Tomic, who stands 7 feet 1, showed some decent low-post moves and could be a decent center in the NBA. The 23-year-old currently plays for Real Madrid in the Euroleague.

Marc Gasol, who had a solid year with the Memphis Grizzlies last season, won't have his older brother Pau at the 2010 FIBA World Championship but that shouldn't stop Spain from contending for the gold medal. (GETTY IMAGES)

The year 2010 has been very kind to Spain.

In June, Pau Gasol won his second NBA championship with the Lakers. A few weeks later, Rafael Nadal won his second Wimbledon title. In July, Alberto Contador captured his third consecutive Tour de France title and the Spanish soccer team won its first World Cup.

It has been a banner year for Spain so far, and the country’s great karma could continue at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, which begins Aug. 28.

Despite not having its best player Pau Gasol – who has decided to skip the FIBA World Championship this summer to give his body some much-needed rest – Spain remains one of the favorites to capture the gold medal in Turkey because of three reasons: center Marc Gasol, Pau’s younger brother who is slowly blazing his own trail in the NBA; shooting guard Juan Carlos Navarro, the reigning Euroleague player of the year; and his Euroleague teammate point guard Ricky Rubio.

Both men gave the United States fits in last Sunday’s exhibition game in Madrid, a game narrowly won by the U.S. 86-85. Navarro had 20 points to lead Spain and Gasol had 17 points and had his way against the Americans in the low post.

For years, Marc Gasol, nicknamed “El Tanque,” has played in the shadows of his much celebrated brother. But the last couple of years, Marc has come into his own and had a breakout season with the Memphis Grizzlies last year.

The 25-year-old Barcelona native averaged career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (9.3) and field-goal percentage (58%) last season – his second as an NBA pro – and has become one of the central figures in the Grizzlies’ youth movement. The 7-foot-1, 270-pound big man is a much more physical player than his older brother. He could very well be the best post-up player at the World Championship in Turkey, and now is a good time to break out of his brother’s immense shadow.

Marc Gasol may not have his sibling on this year’s Spanish national team but he’ll have his basketball brethren with him, including veteran guard Navarro. Nicknamed “La Bomba” for his big-time long-range shots, Navarro has been a fixture on Spain’s national team for 10 years.

“For many years Juan Carlos and I have known each other and we are like brothers,” Marc Gasol told FIBA.com. The 30-year-old Navarro, a former member of the Memphis Grizzlies who led FC Barcelona to a Euroleague title last season and is the reigning Euroleague Final MVP.

“Being in the same room as Juan Carlos is like being with my brother Pau, because they are very similar,” Gasol added. “I have a lot of affection for Juan Carlos.”

Juan Carlos Navarro will captain Spain at the 2010 World Championship in Turkey.

Indeed, the camaraderie at Spain’s training camp appears to be good, with Rudy Fernandez and Rubio together like old times at DKV Joventut, and Felipe Reyes and Jorge Garbajosa also hanging out just as if they were with Real Madrid.

Spain is a close-knit group, the core of the squad has been together for at least four seasons and much of the roster remains the same when it won the gold medal at the 2006 World Championship. Navarro, the team captain, told FIBA.com that he has a good feeling about the squad. “Most of the group is the same as last year,” he said, referring to the team that took gold at last year’s EuroBasket. “We know each other well and the know the style of play.

“We must try to play like last year and have a mind to defend. Then with our quality in attack we have everything.”

With the injury to Jose Calderon, who appears to be out of the World Championship because of a leg injury, Rubio will assume the starting role at point. Rubio showcased his talents against the U.S. in the exhibition game earlier this week in Madrid. His length bothered the guards and his passing off pick-and-rolls exposed the big men. Rubio will make a huge impact at the World Championship, no doubt.

The rest of Spain’s starting lineup includes Navarro at shooting guard, Fernandez on the wing and Garbajosa and Marc Gasol in the frontcourt. Spain has a NBA-type roster that can match up against any team, including the United States. Its five starters took part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics (minus Pau, of course), losing to the United States in the gold-medal game, and nine of the 12 players on the squad are either playing in the NBA of was drafted by an NBA franchise.

Spain and the United States are obviously the two favorites at the World Championship, and Spain could have a slight edge because it has a much more experienced group and Team USA doesn’t not have a whole lot of size to match up with Marc Gasol in the middle.

But Navarro downplayed the importance of the highly anticipated matchup with the United States and didn’t discount the other teams in the tournament.

“Hopefully we can play them, as that would mean we have gone a long way in the championship, but now it is a bit early to talk about it,” he said. “There are many contenders. Argentina, the United States, Serbia, who had a great tournament last year, but it is too early to think about that now. We are only in the early stages of workouts and there is much work remaining.”