For Scola, age doesn’t really matter

MANILA, Philippines — Luis Scola is 39, his hair has more than a few streaks of grey and at the FIBA World Cup in China he has shared the court with rivals half his age.

But Argentina’s evergreen captain is playing a big part in the country’s bid to win the world crown for the first time since the inaugural edition in 1950.

He was named player of the game in Sunday’s 91-65 victory over Poland, drilling 21 points to propel Argentina into a quarterfinal showdown with title-contenders Serbia on Tuesday. 

The forward was also named best player against Nigeria for registering a double-double, scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds.

The last member of Argentina’s so-called “Golden Generation” who won the Olympics in 2004, Scola has won every major trophy in international basketball, except the World Cup.

“What age are you talking about, I’m 28, right?” he joked after Argentina swatted aside Venezuela in the second round.

Speaking in an unmistakably American accent, a product of spending a decade in the NBA up until 2017, Scola added: “I understand everybody talking about my age, but my brain does not function that way.

“I am not going to the court and thinking, oh my god, I’m older than these guys, or, oh my god, these guys are five, 10, 15 years younger than me. To me, it’s natural,” he said.

“I just think that I’m a player, I am a good player and I’m going to make good plays and help my team win.”