Professional career

Argentina

Scola started his career with the Buenos Aires youth teams of Ferro Carril Oeste. He made his professional debut with the same club's pro team in the Argentine league during the 1995-96 season at the age of 15.

Cabitel Gijón

After the 1997-98 basketball season in the Argentine League, Scola moved to Spain and signed with Saski Baskonia. He was loaned to Gijón Baloncesto, where he helped the then Spanish League Second Division club achieve promotion to the Spanish League First Division. He then was loaned back to Gijón through the 1999-2000 season, before arriving at Baskonia, where he played for seven seasons.

Tau Ceramica

With Saski Baskonia, Scola reached the Euroleague final in the 2000-01 season, and three consecutive Euroleague Final Fours, between 2005 and 2007. His outstanding performances earned him an All-Euroleague Second Team selection in 2005, as well as two All-Euroleague First Team selections in 2006 and 2007.

Although Scola did not win the Euroleague championship with Baskonia, he did win with them every major Spanish League title, winning a Spanish ACB League championship in 2002, three Spanish King's Cups in 2002, 2004, 2006, and three Spanish Supercups in 2005, 2006, 2007.

NBA career

In the summer of 2005, the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA (who drafted Scola in 2002), attempted to negotiate with Baskonia to buy out his contract. After throwing around numbers as large as $15 million, Baskonia settled on a number of over $3 million for the buyout of the contract. This made it difficult for Scola to join fellow Argentina national team member Manu Ginóbili in San Antonio, because of the NBA's rule which limits teams to paying no more than $500,000 of a player's buyout. Scola would have been responsible for paying Baskonia the remaining $2.5 million amount of the buyout. When the deal to buy out Scola's contract fell through, the Spurs instead signed an Argentine national team teammate and friend of Scola's, Fabricio Oberto.

Houston Rockets

On July 12, 2007, the Spurs traded the rights to Scola, along with center-forward Jackie Butler, to the Houston Rockets, in return for Vassilis Spanoulis, a future second-round draft pick, and cash considerations. He signed with the Rockets soon after and his sticky buyout situation was resolved a few days later. Scola signed a three-year contract with the Rockets, at a salary of $9.5 million. Scola placed third in the NBA 2007-08 Rookie of the Year Award voting and he was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. On March 13, 2010, he scored a career high 44 points against the New Jersey Nets.

On the afternoon of December 8, 2011, the day before the 2011 NBA lockout ended and players could move between teams, the Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Hornets agreed to a trade that would have sent Scola, along with Goran Dragić, Kevin Martin, and Lamar Odom to the Hornets. In exchange, the Rockets would have received Pau Gasol, and the Lakers would have received star point guard Chris Paul. That night, after other team owners voiced their opposition, league commissioner David Stern nullified the trade.

On July 13, 2012, he was waived by the Rockets using the league's amnesty clause to provide salary cap relief. It was widely noted, however, that Scola was not cut due to a lack of performance; rather, the deal was an attempt to clear cap space for the Rockets to trade for former Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard. Howard was instead traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Rockets used their cap space to gain former Oklahoma City Thunder Sixth Man of the Year shooting guard and Olympic gold medalist James Harden.

Phoenix Suns

On July 15, 2012, Scola was claimed off amnesty waivers by the Phoenix Suns. Reportedly, the Dallas Mavericks and the Cleveland Cavaliers were also interested in acquiring Scola during the amnesty process. On November 21, 2012, Scola was relegated to playing off the bench for the first time in his NBA career since the start of his rookie season. He regained his starting spot less than a month later, and on December 29, he scored a season-high 33 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While Scola did become a leader for the Suns, he finished the season with declining averages, as his 12.8 points per game were his lowest since the 2008-09 season.

Indiana Pacers

On July 27, 2013, the Suns traded Scola to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, and a future second round draft pick. In his two seasons for the Pacers, Scola played a back-up power forward role to David West as he started just 18 games over his two-year stint.

Toronto Raptors

On July 15, 2015, Scola signed with the Toronto Raptors. He made his debut for the Raptors in the team's season opener against the Indiana Pacers on October 28, recording 8 rebounds while taking no field goal attempts in a 106-99 win. Scola has started many games and has added a veteran presence for the Raptors throughout the 2015-16 season.

Argentine national team

With Argentina's junior national teams, Scola won the gold medal at the 1995 South American Cadet Championship, the gold medal at the 1996 South American Junior Championship, the gold medal at the 2000 FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship, and the bronze medal at the 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Championship.

As a member of the senior Argentine national team, Scola has won several medals: the silver medal at the 1999 South American Championship, the bronze medal at the 1999 FIBA Americas Championship, the gold medal at the 2001 FIBA Americas Championship, the silver medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championship, the silver medal at the 2003 FIBA Americas Championship, the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, the silver medal at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the bronze medal at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship, the gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship and the bronze medal at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship among other titles. At the 2015 tournament, Scola became the all-time scorer in FIBA Americas Championship history, and won his 4th tournament MVP.

Scola broke two Argentine national team records at the FIBA World Cup, during the 2010 edition: top overall scorer for Argentina at a World Cup (beating Ernesto Gehrmann's 331 points) and most points scored for Argentina in one game at World Cup (scoring 37 against Brazil in the round of 16, therefore beating Alberto Desimone's 35 points scored against Mexico in 1963).

Titles and medals

Club level

• Spanish League Champion: (2002)
• 3x Spanish King's Cup Champion: (2002, 2004, 2006)
• 3x Spanish Supercup Champion: (2005, 2006, 2007)

Argentine national team

• 1995 South American Cadet Championship: 01 ! Gold
• 1996 South American Junior Championship: 01 ! Gold
• 1999 South American Championship: 02 ! Silver
• 1999 FIBA Americas Championship: 03 ! Bronze
• 2000 FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship: 01 ! Gold
• 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Championship: 03 ! Bronze
• 2001 FIBA Americas Championship: 01 ! Gold
• 2002 FIBA World Championship: 02 ! Silver
• 2003 FIBA Americas Championship: 02 ! Silver
• 2004 Summer Olympic Games: 01 ! Gold
• 2007 FIBA Americas Championship: 02 ! Silver
• 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball: 01 ! Gold
• 2008 Summer Olympic Games: 03 ! Bronze
• 2009 FIBA Americas Championship: 03 ! Bronze
• 2011 FIBA Americas Championship: 01 ! Gold
• 2013 FIBA Americas Championship: 03 ! Bronze
• 2015 FIBA Americas Championship: 02 ! Silver

Awards

Club level

• Spanish League: Rookie of the Year (2000)
• Spanish Supercup: MVP (2005)
• All-Euroleague Second Team: (2005)
• 2× Spanish League MVP: (2005, 2007)
• 2× All-Euroleague First Team: (2006, 2007)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: (2008)
• 2016 NBA Atlantic Division Sportsmanship Award

Argentine national team

• 2000 FIBA Americas Under-20 Championship: MVP
• 2001 FIBA Under-21 World Championship: All-Tournament Team
• 2007 FIBA Americas Championship: MVP
• 2009 FIBA Americas Championship: MVP
• 2010 FIBA World Championship: All-Tournament Team
• 2011 FIBA Americas Championship: MVP
• 2015 FIBA Americas Championship: MVP

Career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	PIR	Performance Index Rating
Bold	Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007-08	Houston	82	39	24.7	.515	.000	.668	6.4	1.3	.7	.2	10.3
2008-09	Houston	82	82	30.3	.531	.000	.760	8.8	1.5	.8	.1	12.7
2009-10	Houston	82	82	32.6	.514	.200	.779	8.6	2.1	.8	.3	16.2
2010-11	Houston	74	74	32.6	.504	.000	.738	8.2	2.5	.6	.6	18.3
2011-12	Houston	66	66	31.3	.491	.000	.773	6.5	2.1	.5	.4	15.5
2012-13	Phoenix	82	67	26.6	.473	.188	.787	6.6	2.2	.8	.4	12.8
2013-14	Indiana	82	2	17.1	.470	.143	.728	4.8	1.0	.3	.2	7.6
2014-15	Indiana	81	16	20.5	.467	.250	.699	6.5	1.3	.6	.2	9.7
Career		631	428	26.8	.497	.167	.742	7.0	1.7	.7	.3	12.7

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2008	Houston	6	6	36.7	.448	.000	.686	9.3	1.3	.7	.2	14.0
2009	Houston	13	13	32.6	.494	.000	.673	8.4	1.8	.5	.2	14.4
2014	Indiana	17	0	13.9	.465	.333	.591	2.5	.5	.4	.2	6.4
Career		36	19	24.4	.475	.250	.660	5.8	1.1	.5	.2	10.5

Euroleague

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG	PIR
2000-01	Tau Cerámica	22	5	18.3	.547	.000	.538	4.4	.7	1.0	.1	8.7	7.0
2001-02	Tau Cerámica	20	3	23.7	.689	.333	.670	4.6	1.1	1.3	.3	15.9	16.8
2002-03	Tau Cerámica	16	9	24.7	.546	.000	.677	5.0	1.3	.9	.3	15.1	13.0
2003-04	Tau Cerámica	14	6	28.8	.604	.000	.765	6.1	2.4	1.4	.4	15.2	16.8
2004-05	Tau Cerámica	24	21	24.7	.564	.000	.676	6.5	1.9	1.3	.7	15.1	16.9
2005-06	Tau Cerámica	25	24	28.6	.536	.000	.679	6.7	2.2	1.6	.8	14.8	18.8
2006-07	Tau Cerámica	23	18	26.5	.573	.000	.708	5.9	2.2	.9	.3	15.5	17.9
Career		144	86	25.6	.577	.091	.671	5.6	1.7	1.2	.5	14.3	15.4

Personal

Scola and his wife, fellow Argentine Pamela, have four children together. In the off-season, he resides in his native Buenos Aires.

References and notes

[ Source: Wikipedia ]