Spurs at the 2012 Summer Games


Brett Brown
Nando de Colo
Boris Diaw
Manu Ginobili

Patty Mills
Tony Parker
Tiago Splitter

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Manu Ginobili
International Play History:
Ginobili is a member of the Argentine national basketball team, and made his debut during the 1998 FIBA World Championship in Athens. His best accomplishment as a member of the national team came at the 2004 Athens Olympics Basketball Tournament when Argentina became the first team other than Team USA to win the gold medal in 16 years (Ginobili won the MVP). The highlight of the tournament was his game-winning buzzer beater with 0.7 seconds remaining, on the opening day of the Olympics, in a game versus Serbia and Montenegro. Ginobili led the team in both scoring (19.3 points per game) and assists (3.3 assists per game). At the 2008 Beijing Olympics Basketball Tournament, Ginobili's Argentina defeated Lithuania to win the bronze, although the shooting guard did not play in that match after sustaining an injury in the semi-finals. In April 2010, Ginobili announced he would not participate in the 2010 FIBA World Championship due to family reasons.

Ginobili returns to the Argentine national team for the 2012 Olympics in London. Argentina is the only national team in the FIBA Americas zone that has won the quintuplet crown: FIBA World Championship (they won the first edition, in 1950), Olympic Gold Medal (2004), FIBA Diamond Ball (2008), FIBA Americas Championship (2001 and 2011) and Pan American Gold Medal (1995). They have also won 13 South American Basketball Championships, as well as many youth championships. The Argentine representative was also the first to defeat a United States national team with a full squad of NBA players. They did so by 87–80 in the 2002 FIBA World Championship held in Indianapolis. In that tournament, Argentina came second behind Serbia and Montenegro, losing the final in overtime.

International Honors:
2004: Manu was the star of the Olympics Games in Athens 2004 where Argentina got the Gold Medal: He was leader of the team and won the tournament MVP
Italian League All-Star: 1999, 2000, 2001
Italian League Most Improved Player: 2000, 2001, 2002
Euroleague Finals Most Valuable Player: 2001
FIBA Americas Championship Most Valuable Player: 2001
Italian Cup Most Valuable Player: 2002
All-Tournament Team, FIBA World Cup: 2002, 2006
Olimpia de Oro: 2003, 2004 (shared with Carlos Tévez)

International Titles:
Italian League Championship: 1999, 2001
Italian Cup: 2001, 2002
Euroleague: 2001
Triple Crown: 2001
Summer Olympic Games gold medal: 2004
Summer Olympic Games bronze medal: 2008

2012 Argentine Schedule
July 29 vs. Lithuania Basketball Arena, London
July 31 vs. France Basketball Arena, London
August 2 vs. Tunisia Basketball Arena, London
August 4 vs. Nigeria Basketball Arena, London
August 6 vs. United States Basketball Arena, London

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Tony Parker
International Play History:
Parker played for France's Junior National Teams at the 1997 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, both the 1998 and 2000 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championships, and the 2002 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. He was elected the Most Valuable Player of the 2000 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, when France captured the gold medal, and Parker averaged 25.8 points, 6.8 assists and 6.8 steals per game. With the French senior national team, Parker has played in the 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009 FIBA European Championships.

France won the bronze medal in the 2005 FIBA European Championships, by defeating the Spanish national team 98–68 in the bronze medal game. As the captain of the French national team since 2003, Parker was slated to lead France at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, but he was unable to play after breaking a finger when he caught his hand in the jersey of a Brazilian national team player in France's final warm up for the tournament. During the 2007 FIBA European Championship, Parker averaged 20.1 points per game and 2.8 assists per game in nine tournament games, but France was defeated in the quarter-finals by the Russian national team. He passed the 2010 FIBA World Championship to recover fully from some injuries he had during the 2009–10 NBA season. Parker returned to the team in 2011, and France reached the finals of the FIBA European Championship, losing to Spain.

Parker returns to the French national team for the 2012 Olympics in London.

International Honors:
Junior national team
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Gold Medal: 2000
Individual honors for junior national team
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship MVP: 2000
Senior national team
Silver medal at the 2011 FIBA European Championship
Bronze medal at the 2005 FIBA European Championship

French 2012 Schedule
July 29 vs. United States Basketball Arena, London
July 31 vs. Argentina Basketball Arena, London
August 2 vs. Lithuania Basketball Arena, London
August 4 vs. Tunisia Basketball Arena, London
August 6 vs. Nigeria Basketball Arena, London


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Boris Diaw
International Play History:
Very rapidly a cornerstone of the French junior team that he joined in 2000, Boris gained his first experience on the French national team in 2003. In 2004, as well as in 2005 during the European championships, he was the scoring and passing leader on the team. Appointed captain in 2006 for the World Championships in Japan, where France finished in fifth place. After a back injury that deprived him of the French team for insurance reasons, Boris got back to the national team in 2009 for Eurobasket in Poland, where the team finished fifth, with the best stats of the competition – eight victories and one defeat. The French team won its place for the World Championships 2010 in Turkey, where Boris led them as captain.

OTHER NOTABLES
* In 2000, he won the European Junior Championship with the French National Team.
* He had won the bronze medal at the European Championship with the French National Team in 2005.
*In July 2006 Diaw was named captain of the French national team. Diaw led the French team in the 2006 FIBA World Championship with 107 points and 22 assists in 9 games.

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Tiago Splitter
International Play History:
Splitter won gold medals with the Brazilian national basketball team at the 2003 Pan American Games, the 2005 FIBA Americas Championship, and the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.

Splitter, who joins the Brazil Team for the 2012 Olympics in London, has played for the Brazilian National Team since 2002 … helped Brazil capture gold medals at the 2003 South American Championship, the 2003 Pan American Games, the 2005 Americas Championship and the 2009 Americas Championship … played for Brazil in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Championships … averaged 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 25.0 minutes in six games at the 2010 World Championships … posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in a 70-68 loss to the U.S. Team on 8/30 … guided Brazil to a second place finish in the 2011 Americas Championship and a berth into the 2012 Olympics … averaged 8.7 points, 6.6 points and 2.2 assists in 20.7 minutes … played for Brazil in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Championships. … averaged 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 25.0 minutes in six games at the 2010 World Championships.

Long wait for Games: A mainstay on the Brazilian national team for 10 years, Tiago Splitter makes his Olympic debut in London. Brazil's men haven't qualified for the Olympics since 1996, but booked a spot in London by placing second at the 2011 FIBA Americas tournament, where the team lost to Argentina in the final. Splitter averaged 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game at the event. Brazil's men have three Olympic bronze medals to their credit, but none since 1964.

Reliable for Brazil: Splitter first appeared for the Brazilian senior team at the 2002 World Championships, where he scored just 3.9 points and grabbed 2.5 rebounds as Brazil placed eighth. He improved upon those numbers at the 2005 FIBA Americas, averaging 14.7 points and 9.6 rebounds as the Brazilians won the title. They also took the Americas crown in 2009, anchored by Splitter's 9.7 points and 7.2 rebounds. Brazil hasn't fared as well at larger international tournaments, such as the 2006 Worlds, where Splitter put up 16.4 points and 6.6 rebounds but Brazil finished 19th. The team improved at the 2010 Worlds, finishing ninth as Splitter averaged 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds.

Brazil 2012 Schedule
July 29 vs. Australia Basketball Arena, London
July 31 vs. Great Britain Basketball Arena, London
August 2 vs. Russia Basketball Arena, London
August 4 vs. China Basketball Arena, London
August 6 vs. Spain Basketball Arena, London

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Nando de Colo
International Play History:
De Colo is also a member of the senior French national basketball team, and he played with them at the EuroBasket 2009, the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the EuroBasket 2011. He won the silver medal at the Eurobasket 2011 in Lithuania.

Other Notes:
Grew up with Cholet Basket (France) juniors…made his debut with Cholet U-20 team during the 2005-06 season…made his debut with the main team during the 2006-07 season…played there till the 2008-09 championship…moved to Spain for the 2009-10 season, signed by Valencia CB.

Won the 2010 Eurocup with Valencia CB...named to the 2010 All-Eurocup First Team...named the 2011-12 Eurocup Last 16 Week-3 MVP...led the 2010-11 Euroleague in free throws percentage (95.7%)...won the 2008 Semaine D'AS with Cholet Basket…named the 2008 Semaine D'As MVP…played the 2008 French All Star Game…named the 2008 French all Star Game MVP…played the 2008 FIBA Eurocup All Star Game…has been member of the French U-20 National Team…played at the 2007 European U-20 Championship…member of the French National Team…won the silver medal at the 2011 European Championship...played at the 2009 European Championship...played at the 2010 World Championship.

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Patty Mills
International Play History:
Mills played for Australia at the FIBA U-19 World Championship in Serbia, in which Australia finished fifth. He was then called up to the Boomers in July 2007, making his debut against Austria on 31 July in an international friendly tournament in Bormio, Italy. Mills scored 11 points off the bench and was credited with changing the complexion of the match, which Australia won 84–63. This not only made him one of the youngest Boomers ever, but also made him only the third Indigenous Australian, after Michael Ah Mat in the 1960s and Danny Morseu in the 1980s, to play for the Boomers. Mills went on to make the Boomers squad for the FIBA Oceania Championship, which doubled as a qualifier for the 2008 Olympics. His main highlight in the competition, which was a three-match series against Australia's trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, came in the second and ultimately deciding match. Mills came off the bench to score 17 points, helping lead the Boomers to a 93–67 rout of the Tall Blacks that punched their ticket to Beijing.

Mills was a member of the Australian squad that gave the USA Basketball team its closest tune-up game of the summer before the Beijing Olympics. The USA National team beat Australia 87–76 in its exhibition game in Shanghai, China. Australia's star player, the Milwaukee Bucks' Andrew Bogut, did not play because of a sore right ankle. Mills, the youngest player on the floor, was impressive as he added 13 points for the Australian squad. Mills averaged a team-best 14.2 points, all off the bench, in the six games the Aussies played in Beijing. He scored 20 points in a quarterfinal loss to the United States, with three assists, two steals and zero turnovers in 28 minutes.

At the London International Basketball Invitational, the Boomers lost a tight contest to France 71-67. Playing against NBA star Tony Parker, Mills scored a team high 20 points. The following game against Croatia, Mills led the Boomers to a 78-66 win, scoring a game high 22 points.

Career Highlights:
2009 – Drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft, the second Indigenous Australian to be drafted into the NBA
2008 – Australia Post Boomers squad member; Beijing Olympics
2007 – Australia Post Boomers squad member; Under-19 men squad member;
2006 – Boomers squad member (youngest at 17 years of age); AIS scholarship; Australian Junior Camp; U-20 World team at Nike Hoops Summit (USA); U-20 National Championships representing ACT and RE Staunton Medallist

Australian 2012 Schedule
July 29 vs. Brazil Basketball Arena, London
July 31 vs. Spain Basketball Arena, London
August 2 vs. China Basketball Arena, London
August 4 vs. Great Britain Basketball Arena, London
August 6 vs. Russia Basketball Arena, London


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Brett Brown – Australia Head Coach
in March of 2009 was named the head coach of the Australian National Team … led Australia to the FIBA Oceania Championship over rival New Zealand in the summer of 2011 to secure a bid to the 2012 Olympics, where he will continue to serve as head coach … son of New England Basketball Hall of Fame Coach, Bob Brown.

He was an assistant coach with the Boomers for 132 games between 1995 and 2003 including the 1998 world championship and the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. Brown was formerly an assistant coach with Lindsay Gaze at the Melbourne Tigers before taking over at North Melbourne in 1993. He was named NBL coach of the year in 1994 when he led the Giants to a championship victory over the Adelaide 36ers. He coached the Sydney Kings from 2000 to 2002 before leaving for San Antonio.

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