Montepaschi Siena point guard Bo McCalebb is currently pursuing the Serie A title with his team, but folks in his alma mater town are already looking forward to Eurobasket 2011.
Earlier this week, the New Orleans Times-Picayune spoke with the former UNO baller about the possibility of again playing with the FYR Macedonia national team, with whom he got into this year’s European tournament. McCalebb was the undisputed star of the squad in the Eurobasket qualifiers, averaging 23.5 points, 3.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals per in six matches.
What might keep him from the competition? Only his left foot. After missing a couple months of club play in 2010-11 due to the injury which is still not quite 100% healed – perhaps this is why he got relatively few minutes in the Euroleague Final Four tourney…? – Bo told the ‘paper he’ll definitely need some R&R before suiting up in Lithuania.
“If I play,” McCalebb speculated, “I don’t think that I will go to training camp because it will be too much for my foot. … If I play, I will probably go home and rest a little bit, for a month or two weeks – and then I would go if they call me. If they call I will be ready.
“I don’t want to hurt [the foot] again and mess up things for the future. I am still young, and I have a lot more basketball to play.”
Two teams from Eurobasket 2011 will earn automatic qualification for the 2012 Olympics, while three more will be invited to play in a further qualifying tourney next year prior to the ‘Games.
Of course, one shouldn’t pin the hopes of an entire basketball team on a single player, but it’s clear that the chances of Team FYR Macedonia’s advancement will depend heavily on McCalebb. For FYR Macedonia backers, here’s to hoping that Bo knows recovery.
