U19 champs a talent showcase

To most of us it's a basketball tournament, but for the scores of professional scouts about to invade Auckland this week the world under-19 men's championships is a shop window of tomorrow's NBA talent.

That's the sidelight of an event rated the third most important on world body Fiba's international programme, behind only the respective senior world champs for men and women.

This tournament (July 2-12), featuring the leading 16 teams on the planet and an array of talent headed for the very top levels of the game, is a ready-made showcase for the future stars of the game. Particularly those from outside of the United States .

It's why there will be a massive contingent of scouts representing teams from the NBA, the major European leagues and leading colleges in the United States present for the championships in Auckland.

There are 21 NBA personnel alone on Fiba's accredited ticket-list, with almost every club in the billion-dollar league represented. Recently crowned champions the LA Lakers have a man in Auckland for the tournament, as do the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs.

Leading European clubs will also have representatives in the stands through the tournament and the big-time college programmes in the United States will also have their talent spotters on the lookout.

Little wonder either when you flick through the stars of tournaments past to realise the calibre of player that has graced the world under-19s stage.

LA Lakers legend James Worthy represented the US at the very first tournament in 1979, alongside Sam Perkins and Eric 'Sleepy' Floyd who would also go on to have storied NBA careers.

And the list goes on and on. Australian legend Andrew Gaze, Germany's Detlef Schrempf and Russian superstar Arvida Sabonis competed in 1983, Luc Longley, Larry Johnson, Gary Payton, Toni Kukoc and Vlade Divac were part of a stellar lineup in 1987, and 1991's class included Luis Scola, Vince Carter and Stephon Marbury.

Andrei Kirilenko and Pau Gasol rocked up in 1999, in 2003 Andrew Bogut, Linas Kleiza and Deron Williams were the marquee names while at the last tournament in 2007 Stephen Curry, Michael Beazley and Aussie star Patty Mills launched their young careers on this stage.

Little wonder then that the NBA is so well represented. Here is where names can first make a blip on the radar, before they eventually end up signing contracts worth millions upon millions of dollars to play in the world's greatest league.

And while these 192 players will be running round the courts of the North Shore Events Centre and ASB Stadium in Kohimarama over the next couple of weeks looking to impress their coaches first and foremost, they're also well aware of the eyes that will also be watching from the stands.

Junior Tall Blacks forward Richie Edwards, who hopes to pick up a division one college scholarship out of the tournament, says all players are awake to the opportunities that exist to impress some influential people.

"I try not to think about it too much," he says. "If you think about it too much you're going to try and do too much on the floor. So you've got to keep your mind free and whatever comes from playing well, you're going to take it."

Edwards, who has just graduated from high school in Lakeland , Florida , says he received calls before he left for New Zealand informing him that teams would have people watching him in Auckland . "Hopefully it's going to be good for a lot of the boys, not just for me."

JTBs centre Rob Loe, who's in his final year at Westlake Boys High, is also hopeful of finding his way on to someone's notebook.

"I'm trying to get a scholarship to the US , and get an education there. Hopefully something will come up out of this tournament. Apparently there's heaps of scouts coming. It should be good."

For all concerned, by the looks of things.

STAR POWER
Here are some of the big names of world basketball who have made their mark at the world under-19 basketball champs in the past:
1979 Eric 'Sleepy Floyd (USA) James Worthy (USA) Sam Perkins (USA) Rimas Kurtinaitis (Soviet Union)
1983 Andrew Gaze (Australia) Detlef Schrempf (Germany) Arvidas Sabonis (Soviet Union) Sarunas Marchulonis (Soviet Union) Scott Skiles (USA)
1987 Shane Heal (Australia) Luc Longley (Australia) Larry Johnson (USA) Gary Payron (USA) Toni Kucoc (Yugoslavia) Dino Radja (Yugoslavia), Vlade Divac (Yugoslavia)
1991 Wes Person (USA) Vin Baker (USA) Dejan Bodiroga (Yugoslavia)
1995 Luis Scola (Argentina) Gordan Giricek (Croatia), Vince Carter (USA), Stephon Marbury (USA)
1999 Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) Pau Gasol (Spain) Juan Carlos Navarro (Spain)
2003 Andrew Bogut (Australia) Jose Barea (Puerto Rico) Deron Williams (USA) Yi Jianlian (China) Linas Kleiza (Lithuania)
2007 Stephen Curry (USA) Michael Beasley (USA) Patrick Mills (Australia)

- © Fairfax NZ News