Americas National Teams

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BRA - Nene returns to Brazil squad



RIO DE JANEIRO (FIBA Americas Championship) - Denver Nuggets center Nene has returned after a four-year absence to help Brazil achieve success in the forthcoming FIBA Americas Championship.



Nene followed the advice of his family and friends to bring an end to his dispute with the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CB and return to the squad.



"I've been with my family and friends and have decided to play in the pre-Olympic championship," Nene said.



"I'll start a new life in the national team, thinking about helping this sport become born again in this country."



Fellow NBA players Anderson Varejao and Leandrinho Barbosa, who participated in the last FIBA World Championship in Japan, have already expressed their desire to join the national team.



"They will contribute too. But it was not just that that made me return. It's a number of things. Basketball here is calling for help and it's time to return," Nene added.



The FIBA Americas Championship provides two berths in the Beijing Olympics next year.



"You'll see what we are able to do," Nene said. "We need to put Brazil in a higher place."



Despite his announcement, there is one thing still missing - the insurance the CBB has to pay to the Nuggets to let him play.



He continued: "I want to have the bill of the insurance in my hand.



"It means security for both Nuggets and myself. They need to have the document to let me play. I want to play the Americas Championship, but now the CBB has

to play their role."

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MEX ? National Team defeated team from USA



Chihuahua (FIBA Americas Championship 2007) ? In front of a packed house, at the Rodrigo M. Quevedo Gymnasium, Mexico?s National team finished their tour on Chuihuahua territory with a victory before the Phoenix Stars, from Arizona, 105 ? 98.



It was 40 minutes of great basketball, with great response from the crowd, particularly every time Chihuahua?s star, Hector ?Virito? Hern?ndez, scored.





The national team put into practice the game plan of its head coach, Nolan Richardson, playing with relentless quickness; even their big men, accustomed to play rather slow, were getting into it. At the end, it worked, though the players from the Phoenix Stars tried hard to prevent the loss.



For Mexico?s National team, Omar Quintero finished with 19 points and Hector ?Virito? Hernandez with 16 points. For the loser team, Thomas Mugabe scored 13 points and Andre Hardwick 12.



With this game, Mexico?s National team brilliantly closed their performance at the Quevedo (in front of two thousand fans), infusing hopes to their preparation towards the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, in Las Vegas in September.

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PUR - Arroyo to sit out games



SAN JUAN (Pan-American Games) - Puerto Rican Basketball Federation president Hetin Reyes has revealed NBA star Carlos Arroyo will not play in the Pan-American Games.



Orlando Magic point guard Arroyo and Unicaja Malaga center Daniel Santiago have been left out of Puerto Rico's preliminary squad for the tournament that gets under way in Rio de Janeiro on July 25.



"We believe the best for them (Arroyo and Santiago) is to have a break," said Reyes.



"We know they are fed up with trips, games, and we want to have them well to play the Caribe Basket tournament."



Antonio 'Puruco' Latimer, Christian Dalmau, David Huertas and Guillermo Diaz miss out on a place in coach Manolo Cintron's squad, while Miguel Ali Berdiel, Ansel Guzman, Angel Rosa Clemente and Ricky Sanchez are the new faces.



Angel Daniel Vassallo and U17 star Angel 'Piwi' Garcia are other surprise inclusions.



Puerto Rico squad: Rick Apodaca, Larry Ayuso, Jose Juan Barea, Filiberto Rivera, Peter John Ramos, Angelo Reyes, Manuel Narvaez, Carmelo Lee, Angel Figueroa, Ivan Lopez, Hector Valenzuela, Joel Jones Camacho, Wilfredo Pagan, Angel Rosa Clemente, Ricky Sanchez, Ansel Guzman, Miguel Ali Berdiel, Alejandro Carmona, Gabriel Colon, Angel Daniel Vassallo, Angel Garcia.