Luis Scola facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Luis Scola

Scola with the Olimpia Milano in 2019
No. 4, 14, 40
Chief executive officer
Personal information
Born	(1980-04-30) 30 April 1980 (age 45) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality	Argentine / Spanish
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2002 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56th overall
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Pro career	1995–2021
League	Lega Basket Serie A EuroLeague
Career history
1995–1998	Ferro Carril Oeste
1998–2007	Tau Ceramica
1998–2000	→Gijón
2007–2012	Houston Rockets
2012–2013	Phoenix Suns
2013–2015	Indiana Pacers
2015–2016	Toronto Raptors
2016–2017	Brooklyn Nets
2017–2018	Shanxi Brave Dragons
2018–2019	Shanghai Sharks
2019–2020	Olimpia Milano
2020–2021	Varese
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2008) 2× All-EuroLeague First Team (2006, 2007) All-EuroLeague Second Team (2005) Liga ACB champion (2002) 3× Spanish Cup winner (2002, 2004, 2006) 3× Spanish Supercup winner (2005–2007) 2× Liga ACB MVP (2005, 2007) Liga ACB Rookie of the Year (2000) 4× All-Liga ACB Team (2004–2007) Spanish Supercup MVP (2005) 4× FIBA AmeriCup MVP (2007, 2009, 2011, 2015) FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship MVP (2000) No. 4 retired by Baskonia
Career Lega Basket Serie A EuroLeague statistics
Points	8,882 (12.0 ppg)
Rebounds	4,941 (6.7 rpg)
Assists	1,194 (1.6 apg)
Medals Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 1 FIBA World Cup 0 2 0 FIBA Diamond Ball 1 0 1 FIBA AmeriCup 2 4 3 Pan American Games 1 0 0 Men's basketball Representing  Argentina Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Bronze 2008 Beijing World Cup Silver 2002 Indianapolis Silver 2019 China FIBA Diamond Ball Bronze 2004 Belgrade Gold 2008 Nanjing FIBA AmeriCup Gold 2001 Neuquén Gold 2011 Mar del Plata Silver 2003 San Juan Silver 2007 Las Vegas Silver 2015 Mexico City Silver 2017 Argentina Bronze 1999 San Juan Bronze 2009 San Juan Bronze 2013 Caracas Pan American Games Gold 2019 Lima

Luis Alberto Scola Balvoa (born on April 30, 1980) is a famous Argentine former basketball player. He is now the chief executive officer (CEO) for the Italian basketball team Pallacanestro Varese. Scola was chosen three times for the All-EuroLeague Team while playing for Saski Baskonia. In 2007, he joined the Houston Rockets and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He also played for other NBA teams like the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets.

Luis Scola was a key player for the Argentina national basketball team starting in 1999. He helped them win a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics. In 2010, he received the Konex Award for being one of Argentina's top five basketball players of the decade. He was also chosen to carry Argentina's flag at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Luis Scola's Basketball Journey

Starting Out in Argentina (1995–1998)

Luis Scola began his basketball journey with youth teams in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He played for Ferro Carril Oeste. He made his professional debut with their main team in the Argentine league when he was just 15 years old, during the 1995–96 season.

Playing in Spain (1998–2007)

After playing in Argentina, Scola moved to Spain in 1998 and signed with Saski Baskonia. He was first loaned to Gijón Baloncesto, a team in Spain's Second Division. He helped them get promoted to the First Division. He stayed with Gijón until 2000 before joining Baskonia, where he played for seven seasons.

With Saski Baskonia, Scola helped his team reach the EuroLeague Finals in the 2000–01 season. They also made it to the EuroLeague Final Four three times in a row, from 2005 to 2007. Because of his great playing, he was chosen for the All-EuroLeague Second Team in 2005 and the All-EuroLeague First Team in 2006 and 2007.

Even though Scola didn't win the EuroLeague championship with Baskonia, he won many important Spanish League titles. These included a Spanish ACB League championship in 2002, three Spanish King's Cups (in 2002, 2004, and 2006), and three Spanish Supercups (in 2005, 2006, and 2007).

Joining the NBA: Houston Rockets (2007–2012)

In 2007, the San Antonio Spurs, who had drafted Scola in 2002, traded his rights to the Houston Rockets. Scola then signed a three-year contract with the Rockets. He quickly made an impact and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2008. On March 13, 2010, he scored his career-high 44 points in a game against the New Jersey Nets.

In 2012, the Rockets decided to release Scola to make space for new players. This was a common move in the NBA to manage team salaries.

Moving to Phoenix, Indiana, and Toronto (2012–2016)

Scola with the Suns in December 2012

After leaving the Rockets, Scola was picked up by the Phoenix Suns in July 2012. He became a leader for the Suns. In July 2013, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers. For two seasons, he played as a backup power forward and helped the Pacers reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2014.

On July 15, 2015, Scola signed with the Toronto Raptors. He helped the Raptors reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016. This was the first time in the Raptors' history they made it that far.

Final NBA Stop: Brooklyn Nets (2016–2017)

Scola joined the Brooklyn Nets in July 2016. His last NBA game was on February 13, 2017. He was waived by the Nets later that month.

Playing in China and Italy (2017–2021)

After his time in the NBA, Scola played in China for the Shanxi Brave Dragons (2017–2018) and the Shanghai Sharks (2018–2019).

In September 2019, he signed with Olimpia Milano in Italy. He played there for one season. On July 1, 2020, Scola announced he would play one more year before retiring. He signed with Pallacanestro Varese in Italy for the 2020–21 season.

Retirement and Jersey Retirement

Luis Scola officially retired from playing basketball in 2021. On November 3, 2023, his jersey number 4 was retired by Saski Baskonia, the Spanish team where he played for many years. This means no other player on that team will wear the number 4 again, honoring Scola's contributions.

Life After Playing Basketball

On September 20, 2021, Pallacanestro Varese announced that Luis Scola would return to the club, but this time as their Chief executive officer (CEO). This role means he helps manage the team's business and operations.

Playing for Argentina's National Team

Junior National Team Success

Luis Scola had a very successful career with Argentina's junior national teams. He won gold medals at the 1995 South American Cadet Championship, the 1996 South American Junior Championship, and the 2000 FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Cup.

Senior National Team Achievements

As a member of the senior Argentina national team, Scola won many medals. These include:

• Gold medals at the 2001 and 2011 FIBA Americas Championships.
• A gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
• A bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
• Silver medals at the 2002 FIBA World Championship and the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
• A gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.

At the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, Scola became the all-time leading scorer in FIBA AmeriCup history. He also won his fourth tournament MVP award.

During the 2010 FIBA World Championship, Scola broke two records for the Argentina national team: he became Argentina's top overall scorer at a World Cup and scored the most points for Argentina in a single World Cup game (37 points against Brazil).

At the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Scola scored 135 points and grabbed 57 rebounds. He passed Andrew Gaze to become the second-highest scorer in World Cup history, only behind Oscar Schmidt.

Scola played in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In his final game at the Olympics, against Australia, play was paused. Players from both teams, coaches, and fans gave him a standing ovation as he left the court. This showed great respect for his amazing career.

Awards and Honors

Luis Scola received many awards throughout his career:

Club Awards

• Spanish League Champion: (2002)
• 3× Spanish King's Cup Winner: (2002, 2004, 2006)
• 3× Spanish Supercup Winner: (2005, 2006, 2007)
• Spanish League: Rookie of the Year (2000)
• Spanish Supercup: MVP (2005)
• All-EuroLeague Second Team: (2005)
• 2× Spanish League MVP: (2005, 2007)
• 4× All-Spanish League Team: (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
• 2× All-EuroLeague First Team: (2006, 2007)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: (2008)

National Team Awards

• 1995 South American Cadet Championship: 1 Gold

• 1996 South American Junior Championship: 1 Gold

• 1999 South American Championship: 2 Silver

• 1999 FIBA Americas Championship: 3 Bronze
• 2000 FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship: 1 Gold

• 2000 FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship: MVP
• 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Cup: 3 Bronze
• 2001 FIBA Americas Championship: 1 Gold

• 2002 FIBA World Championship: 2 Silver

• 2003 FIBA Americas Championship: 2 Silver

• 2004 Summer Olympics: 1 Gold

• 2007 FIBA Americas Championship: 2 Silver

• 2007 FIBA Americas Championship: MVP
• 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball: 1 Gold

• 2008 Summer Olympics: 3 Bronze
• 2009 FIBA Americas Championship: 3 Bronze
• 2009 FIBA Americas Championship: MVP & Top Scorer
• 2010 FIBA World Championship: All-Tournament Team & Top Scorer
• 2011 FIBA Americas Championship: 1 Gold

• 2011 FIBA Americas Championship: All-Tournament Team & MVP & Top Scorer
• 2013 FIBA Americas Championship: 3 Bronze
• 2013 FIBA Americas Championship: All-Tournament Team & Top Scorer
• 2015 FIBA Americas Championship: 2 Silver

• 2015 FIBA Americas Championship: All-Tournament Team & MVP & Top Scorer
• 2017 FIBA AmeriCup: 2 Silver

• 2019 Pan American Games: 1 Gold

• 2019 FIBA World Championship: 2 Silver

• 2019 FIBA World Championship: All-Tournament Team

Personal Life

Luis Scola is married to Pamela, and they have four children together. He also has a Spanish passport. In 2017, Scola was chosen as an ambassador for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics held in his hometown of Buenos Aires.

See also

In Spanish: Luis Scola para niños

• List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
• List of Olympic medalists in basketball