News: Spurs sign Tiago Splitter

Tiago Splitter will finally play in the NBA. After intense speculation and uncertainty regarding his future, the San Antonio Spurs signed and presented the Brazilian officially for the next three seasons. Splitter will join power forward Tim Duncan, who was always a role model for him while growing up. He even chose to wear number 21, same as Duncan.
Drafted by the Spurs in the 2007, the Brazil national team centre had his best season so far at 25, being named MVP of the Spanish league, both during the regular season and the playoff finals, helping Caja Laboral Baskonia get the title. Last season he averaged 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 16 Euroleague games.


Source: esporte.uol.com.br

News: Parker with "Les Bleus" until 2012 (Notícia: Parker com "Les Bleus" até 2012

The San Antonio Spurs superstar Tony Parker will play with the France national team at least until 2012 Olympics. The 26-year-old guard recently met with the national team sports manager Crawford Palmer and signed a letter of engagement which bonds the player with France.
Recently appointed national team headcoach Vincent Collet is also targeting other NBA players to play for the national side, and those who commit will also sign a letter of engagement. In the short term France looks to book a spot in Eurobasket this year by playing the additional qualifying tournament together with Italy and Finland in Group B.
Parker has been playing with "Les Bleus" since 2001, having played four Eurobasket tournaments and a World Championsip in 2006.

(A superestrela dos San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, jogará pela França pelo menos até aos Jogos Olímpicos de 2012. O base de 26 anos encontrou-se recentemente com o director desportivo da selecção, Crawford Palmer, e assinou um compromisso que o vincula à selecção francesa.
Outros jogadores da NBA estão também na mira de Vincent Collet, recentemente contratado como seleccionador, para que se juntem à selecção, devendo aqueles que se comprometerem assinar também um documento. A curto prazo, a França tentará conquistar um lugar no Eurobasket deste ano através da disputa do torneio adicional de qualificação, juntamente com Itália e Finlândia no Grupo B.
Parker joga pelos "Les Bleus" desde 2001, tendo disputado quatro torneios Eurobasket e um Campeonato do Mundo em 2006.)


Source (Fonte): fibaeurope.com

News: Ginóbili won't play more this season (Notícia: Ginóbili não jogará mais esta época)

One of the stars of the San Antonio Spurs will sit out for the remainder of the season. Manu Ginóbili's right ankle is giving the 31-year-old problems again as tests revealed, and the Argentinian will be forced not only to pass the regular season's remaining games, but also the playoffs. Ginóbili had already missed 19 games this season and didn't start the season right away due to an injury in his other ankle, developed during the Beijing Olympics.
During this season, the guard averaged 15.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals through 44 games. Coach Gregg Popovich is already trying to ajust the team to the loss of such an important player and Roger Mason could be the man replacing Ginóbili's role in the team.

(Uma das estrelas dos San Antonio Spurs ficará de fora no que resta de época. O tornozelo direito de Manu Ginóbili voltou a dar problemas ao jogador de 31 anos, segundo testes realizados, e o argentino será forçado a ausentar-se não só dos restantes jogos da época regular, mas também dos "playoffs". Ginóbili tinha já falhado 19 games esta época e não tinha iniciado a temporada de imediato devido a uma lesão no outro tornozelo, contraída durante os Jogos Olímpicos de Pequim.
Durante esta época, o base obteve médias de 15,5 pontos, 4,1 ressaltos, 3,6 assistências e 1,5 roubos de bola em 44 jogos. O treinador Gregg Popovich encontra-se já a tentar ajustar a equipa à perda de tão importante jogador e Roger Mason poderá assumir o papel de Ginóbili na equipa.)

Source (Fonte): sports.espn.go.com

News: Brett Brown new Australia coach (Notícia: Brett Brown novo seleccionador da Austrália)

The NBA's San Antonio Spurs assistant coach is the new Australia national team headcoach. The 48-year-old American spent the last six seasons with the Spurs had already made part of the "Boomers" coaching staff between 1995 and 2003. The ties with Australia are also at club level, since Brown coached the North Melbourne Giants and the Sydney Kings from the NBL, leading the former to a championship in 1994, being named coach of the year on the occasion.
The new Australia coach will keep working with the Spurs, as the NBA season and the international basketball season have different schedules.
Brown replaces Brian Goorjian, who coached Australia between 2002 and 2008 and led the team to a 7th place in the Beijing Olympics last year.

(O treinador auxiliar dos San Antonio Spurs, da NBA, é o novo seleccionador da Austrália. O norte-americano de 48 anos está há seis com os Spurs, tendo já feito parte da equipa técnica dos "Boomers" entre 1995 e 2003. Os laços com a Austrália também existem ao nível de clubes, já que Brown orientou os Melbourne Giants e os Sydney Kings da NBL, levando os primeiros ao título em 1994, ano em que foi designado melhor treinador.
O novo seleccionador da Austrália continuará a trabalhar com os Spurs, dado que as épocas da NBA e das competições internacionais não coincidem.
Brown substitui Brian Goorjian, que comandou a Austrália entre 2002 e 2008 e levou a selecção ao 7º lugar nos Jogos Olímpicos de Pequim, no ano passado.)


Source (Fonte): basketball.net.au