The torch is ready to be lit and the hardwood is set for hoops in Rio de Janeiro.
With the 2016 Olympics tipping off its basketball tournament on Saturday, a pair of Lakers, Jose Calderon and Marcelo Huertas, find themselves staring at some tall expectations.
For Calderon, this is likely the last opportunity to lead Spain to a gold medal that has just eluded the country in back-to-back Olympics.
Calderon, Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez make up the core of a Spanish side that is the most accomplished in their nation’s history. However, this golden era has produced only silver at the Olympics, as the United States beat them in close contests during the championship round in both Beijing and London.
Calderon will likely serve as backup to Ricky Rubio this team around, while the Spaniards add NBA players in Nikola Mirotic, Sergio Rodriguez, Willy Hernangomez and Alex Abrines.
However, Spain — the No. 2 team in the world per FIBA rankings and 2015 EuroBasket champions — will be without two of the NBA’s top big men, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, who will not play in Rio after representing in 2012.
Spain will need to play at its very best to have a shot at upsetting the Americans, who trot out a 12-man roster of stars, including All-NBA selections DeAndre Jordan, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, Klay Thompson and Kyle Lowry.
Perhaps the biggest advantage that Spain has over the U.S. is cohesion, as the center of its team has spent about a decade together. Calderon — who has been on the national team since 2003 — is a central part of this given that he has helped his country to gold at the 2006 World Championship and 2011 European Championship.
Plus, Pau Gasol cannot be counted out on the international stage, where he seems to ascend to another level. The former Laker has averaged 20.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in his 23-game Olympic career, never failing to score double figures.
Meanwhile, Huertas and Brazil may not have the Spaniard’s long history of success, but as host of the Games they, too, will have a large share of pressure heaped on them.
A perfect 6-0 record in pre-Olympics exhibitions surely has the Brazilians feeling good, especially considering that they defeated No. 3 Lithuania in the finals of the Brazil Super Challenge, while Spain failed to do so despite having two attempts at their Baltic foes.
Reaching the podium would be a momentous accomplishment for Huertas and co., considering that Brazil has failed to medal since taking bronze at the Tokyo Olympics 52 years ago.
This year’s squad is ranked ninth by FIBA, but there is plenty of hope for improving that standing.
Huertas is joined by NBA veterans Leandro Barbosa and Nene, and the team brings aboard a pair of young talents in Raul Neto and Cristiano Felicio.
Huertas, who officially re-signed with the Lakers on Friday just before the Opening Ceremony, will be the director of the Brazilian offense as its starting point guard, ahead of Neto.
The Sao Paulo native led all players in assists during four of his team’s six exhibitions, and he enjoyed plenty of success at the London Games, averaging 11.3 points and 6.0 assists.
For what it’s worth, Huertas also put on a show against the USA in a friendly before the 2012 Olympics, tallying 11 points, five rebounds and 13 assists (the last of which was more than all the Americans combined), though his team fell by 11.
Like Calderon, Huertas is an accomplished international player, having helped Brazil to a pair of gold medals at the FIBA Americas Championship, plus one each at the Pan American Games and South American Championship.
The new Los Angeles teammates will meet up at Carioca Arena 1 on Aug. 9 at 10:15 a.m. PT when Brazil and Spain clash.
Both countries have strong chances to advance and thus face Team USA — which is placed in the other group — in the knockout rounds, which begin with the quarterfinals on Aug. 17.
Spain’s Olympic Schedule Aug. 7 vs. Croatia (3 p.m. PT) Aug. 9 vs. Brazil (10:15 a.m.) Aug. 11 vs. Nigeria (3 p.m.) Aug. 13 vs. Lithuania (3 p.m.) Aug. 15 vs. Argentina (3 p.m.)
Brazil’s Olympic Schedule Aug. 7 vs. Lithuania (10:15 a.m.) Aug. 9 vs. Spain (10:15 a.m.) Aug. 11 vs. Croatia (10:15 a.m.) Aug. 13 vs. Argentina (10:15 a.m.) Aug. 15 vs. Nigeria (10:15 a.m.)
Knockout Rounds Aug. 17: Quarterfinals Aug. 19: Semifinals Aug. 21: Finals
