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SPORT WORLD NEWS FIBA - ARG - Nocioni dreams of world domination | |
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BUENOS AIRES (FIBA World Championship) - Argentina won Olympic gold at the Athens Olympics and boast one of the most exciting teams in international basketball.
The squad is so good, in fact, the country's Chicago Bulls star forward Andres Nocioni now says his country is close to being a Dream Team.
In an interview with the `No te tenemos miedo` radio show in Argentina, he said: "We're not the Dream Team, but we're close.
"We know that everybody wants to beat us because our level is very high.
"So, we have to be responsible and tell the truth: we're very good and can be world champions."
The Dream Team consisted of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and a host of other NBA legends at the 1992 Olympics.
That group of players made up what most basketball fans accept is the greatest side ever assembled.
Some US teams have since been described as Dream Teams, but they were nowhere near as powerful as the one in Barcelona.
Few would give Argentina a chance against that 1992 US team, but they are awesome.
In fact, they are the stuff of dreams in South America with players like Nocioni, Emanuel Ginobili and Luis Scola.
They were very nearly gold medal winners at the FIBA World Championship in 2002 but, with talisman Ginobili injured in the semi-final, Argentina suffered an agonising defeat in overtime to Yugoslavia.
Nocioni & Co won the gold at the Olympics but they know they have unfinished business and will go all out for the title at the FIBA World Championship in Japan later this year.
"We want to bring joy to the Argentinian people," Nocioni said. "I know that they watch all the games there and I'm proud of being part of this."
Argentina's FIBA World Championship campaign tips-off on August 19 and their opponents in Group A are France, Lebanon, Venezuela, Nigeria and reigning champions Serbia & Montenegro.
Nocioni knows after Argentina's semi-final win over the US at the Olympics that the Americans will be out for revenge.
"They respect us a lot, but in the last year we've touched their heart," he said.
"We did something to make them angry. So, as they will take the best squad to Japan, they are very dangerous, because they have a high-quality squad."
PA Sport |
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