Luis Scola named as FIBA World Cup Global Ambassador

 

Luis Scola

The World Cup gets its first international global ambassador, with FIBA naming Luis Scola for the honor.

The Argentine legend will help promote the World Cup, which starts on August 25 across three countries: main co-host the Philippines, and fellow co-hosts Japan and Indonesia. That includes activities taking place in the run-up to the competition, like the upcoming Draw Ceremonies slated for April.

As one of the members of the "Global Generation," Scola appeared in five iterations of the World Cup/World Championships, with his 41 games played tied for the most appearances alongside Ubiratan Pereira Maciel of Brazil. His total of 716 points is second all-time in the competition in scoring.

He made his debut in Indianapolis back in 2002, when it was still called the World Championships, helping Argentina make it to the finals before they fell short in overtime to Yugoslavia.

Fresh from winning the Olympics in Athens, Scola averaged 14.3 points and seven rebounds on 55.3% shooting as Argentina made a run to the semifinals in the 2006 edition in Japan, where they fell short to Spain, 75-74.

In Turkey for the 2010 edition, Scola topped the competition in scoring with 27.1 points per game, buoyed by a 37-point performance against Brazil in the Round of 16.

His fourth appearance came in 2014, with the tournament being rebranded into its current World Cup nomenclature. He averaged 19.5 points in Seville, including a 30-point outburst in the group phase against Croatia and a 19-point output against then-World Cup debutants Gilas Pilipinas.

At the age of 40, he made his final World Cup appearance in the 2019 edition, and still showed he still got it in China by being named to the TISSOT All-Star Five. That included a 28-point, 13-rebound performance in an 80-66 triumph over France in the semifinals.

Scola also played in five Olympics, making the semifinals in 2008 and 2012, winning the bronze in Beijing. He served as Argentina's flagbearer in the 2016 edition at Rio de Janeiro, before playing his final edition at Tokyo last year.

The former Houston Rocket was a force in continental competition, being named as a FIBA AmeriCup Most Valuable Player four times (2007, 2009, 2011, 2015). He helped Argentina to a podium spot nine times in the tournament.

He shares about the announcement: "I'm truly honored to be a World Cup Global Ambassador and to take on this new role. I always wanted to represent Argentina, to sing the national anthem before games and to play alongside so many amazing players, and for great coaches. We always set out to win tournaments, but the most important thing was to give our best, to be good role models and to play for our country. Being part of our Golden Generation with so many amazing players has also been a very special experience. To play every summer was also a priority because it helped me maintain my fitness for the following season. We had amazing victories. While there were some disappointing results, we won a lot more than we lost and learned many life lessons along the way. Maybe the biggest was that with perseverance, togetherness and a shared vision, a team can achieve more than is expected. If all players, all teams, take that approach next year, this is going to be another unforgettable World Cup across the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia."