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Stars from Argentina, Lithuania, Serbia, Turkey and the USA have been recognised for their outstanding tournaments with the All Star Five for the 2010 FIBA World Championship announced following Sunday's final between Turkey and the USA. The All Star Five is made up of Luis Scola at centre, Linas Kleiza and Kevin Durant as forwards, and Hedo Turkoglu and Milos Teodosic in the guard positions. FIBA.com

Linas Kleiza, Kevin Durant, Hidayet Turkoglu, Luis Scola, Milos Teodosic, World Championship 

For the first time in 16 years, the Americans won a tournament that is held in higher esteem around the world than it is back home. And they did it forcefully, silencing a stadium of singing, chanting Turks so thoroughly, the whistles that a few fans brought into the Sinan Erdem Dome actually sounded like crickets when one or two were blown midway through the fourth quarter, when it was clear the Turkish team no longer had a chance in what ended as an 81-64 victory Sunday. "Coach said something to them earlier today about the fact that we beat Spain in Spain, we beat Greece in Greece, we might as well beat Turkey in Turkey," Colangelo said. "And that's what transpired, and it's a great tribute to a young group of guys and some veteran leadership who really stepped up, some of which showed in the box score and some of which didn't. And it was a great team effort, and a great thing for USA Basketball because it got us over the hump." ESPN.com

Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball, Mike Krzyzewski, World Championship 

"I think it's a tribute to the structure and foundation we have at USA Basketball that we can turn over as many players as we have, over 30, since '06 in he last World Championship and be as successful as we've been," Colangelo said. "It's a tribute to the players, the quality of players we have, and Mike Krzyzewski deserves tremendous, tremendous praise for the job he's done. I've never seen anybody stick to it as much as he does. He's organized, he's focused, he sleeps it, he dreams it. "This is the only thing he hadn't won. He had lost a couple times in the past (in 2006 and 1990), so this is another one for his collection," Colangelo said. ESPN.com

USA Basketball, Mike Krzyzewski, World Championship 

The win, sealed when guard Kerem Tunceri made a layup with half of a second remaining, advanced Turkey into Sunday's gold medal game against Team USA. Prior to these Worlds, Turkey had never finished better than the sixth in the event and had never even qualified until 2002. "It should be fun," said Turkoglu, who played for Orlando in a 4-1 NBA Finals loss to the Lakers in June 2009. "Like playing in the NBA Finals." But then Turkoglu thought for few seconds. Maybe this is more intense than the NBA Finals. "It's different," he said. "It's more feelings (for one's country). It's different. Your whole team is playing for your country. This is different emotionally and a different feeling. We'll try to do our best. It's going to be a tough game. We know that. FanHouse.com

Hidayet Turkoglu, World Championship 

After an historic win yesterday in the semifinals against Serbia, Turkish captain Hedo Turkoglu is clear of what they need to do to beat the USA in the FIBA World Championship finals today. “We have to minimize mistakes because they (USA) are a good team on the open court. We don’t want to give them any opportunities like easy baskets and we will try to keep the game close”, said Turkoglu after the game against Serbia. So far in this tournament, Turkey handles the ball better than most teams, being third in turnovers with 11.4 per game, only Greece (10.8), who is already eliminated, and Argentina (10.3) have been better in this tournament. FIBA.com

Hidayet Turkoglu, World Championship 

Team USA's 89-74 triumph over Lithuania meant a lot for USA star Kevin Durant and not just because the result put his country into the FIBA World Championship Final for the first time since 1994. Durant, who had a game-high 38 points - 17 in the first quarter - was just happy to have won on a day that has become very important for all Americans. The game was played on September 11. "To be playing in another country and playing for your country on a great day like this, which was tough for our country in 2001 when the towers fell, it's truly an honor and a blessing," said Durant to FIBA.com. "I'm just happy we won." Durant has been the superstar of a Team USA that has none of the players from the gold-medal winning side at the Olympics. FIBA.com

Kevin Durant, USA Basketball, World Championship 

As for whether USA can take that final step tomorrow, Durant is confident they can do so for the first time since 1994. "To be in the gold medal game it's truly an honor and a privilege," he said. "We just have to go out there and play our hardest. We are looking forward to going out there and trying to bring the gold back to the US. It's going to be a tough game for us no matter who we play but I think we are up for the challenge." Whatever happens tomorrow, Durant, who is playing in his first FIBA World Championship, has enjoyed every minute. "It's been overwhelming," he said. "It has been a lot of fun, the competition here is unbelievable. The physical play is tough. I'm just happy to be here." FIBA.com

Kevin Durant, USA Basketball, World Championship 

“The White Shadow” was about a white former N.B.A. player, Reeves, who takes over as coach of a mostly black high school basketball team after his career was cut short by a knee injury. While the series holds a strong legacy of innovation in American television for casting African-Americans in a drama and addressing social problems, it has also resonated in Turkey, whose national team is seemingly on course to play the United States on Sunday in the final of the basketball world championships. Turkey’s rapid rise as a basketball power can be traced, in part, to “The White Shadow,” whose 54 episodes appeared on black-and-white TV here from 1980 to 1982. “It made people aware of basketball in Turkey,” said Alper Yilmaz, a former national team player who works in the front office of Efes Pilsen, a club in Istanbul that has won 13 Turkish League titles since its founding in 1976. “There was already basketball in Turkey,” Yilmaz added, “but after that show, everyone started playing.” New York Times

Turkey, World Championship, American TV 

An American TV series having an impact on a foreign culture is not unusual, but as Turkey’s basketball infrastructure grew to where it could compete for a world title, the influence of “The White Shadow” has been unusual. “The exportation of American television was a form of empire building — empires of consciousness, not of geography — that shaped the desires, perceptions and goals of global populations in ways it is impossible to appreciate,” Thompson said. “As for ‘The White Shadow,’ the impact may have been harmless, or even positive. “I’m not so sure about other programs like ‘Dallas’ and ‘Baywatch.’ ” New York Times

Turkey, World Championship, American TV 

It wasn't a dominant performance like Monday's win over a grossly outmatched Angola squad. But the U.S. did what it needed to in order to curb its opponent's size advantage. "It was even," Krzyzewski said. "They didn't dominate and we didn't stop them. It didn't become a part of the game where they could have beaten us." Offensively, the U.S. beat Russia off the dribble, took the contact, and got to the line 28 times, more than in any exhibition or World Championship game this year. NBA.com

USA Basketball, Mike Krzyzewski, World Championship 

And while the U.S. piled up some assists -- 17 of their 29 baskets came off an assist -- this was most definitely the Kevin Durant show. Against what was the fourth-best defensive team in the tournament, Durant went off for 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting and made 8-of-9 from the line. "I thought, for the most part, we made Kevin work for the stuff he got," Russian coach David Blatt said. "He made plays. And that's the definition of a great player, a guy who can make plays when he's being pressed, when he's being guarded." Durant, who has always looked to share the spotlight with this teammates, knows that he's not supposed to share the ball nearly as much. "We're going to go to him," Krzyzewski said. "I've learned in coaching that you should get your best player the ball. And a lot of times, you look better as a coach." NBA.com

Kevin Durant, USA Basketball, Mike Krzyzewski, World Championship 

As Serbia was beating defending World champion Spain on Wednesday, there were screams of joy and high fives being thrown. Sounds like a festive night in the stands, right? Well, yes. But also in the press seats. Serbian journalists celebrated the dramatic 92-89 win at the Sinan Erdem Dome with zest as their nation's team advanced to the semifinals of the World Championship. It hardly went unnoticed. "It was the worst (he's seen),'' said Jorge Sierra, the Madrid-based editor-in-chief of HoopsHype.com who has attended many international basketball events. FanHouse.com

Turkey, World Championship, Journalism 

Asked if he's concerned he might have bothered some of the Spanish journalists, Todorovic said, "If I offend anybody I can say that I'm sorry.'' Sierra, who covers primarily the NBA rather than the Spanish national team, said some of the Spanish journalists were upset. Not that they have that much of a right to grumble. "Some of them complained,'' Sierra said. "But they really cannot complain all that much because they're cheering, too. ... There were some runs when (Spanish journalists) got a little excited. But it's nothing compared to Serbia for their team.'' While Sierra said he's never seen sports reporters cheer like the Serbians did Wednesday, he did note some other examples. "The guys from Israel are pretty bad, too,'' he said. "I was there at the (European) Final Four (in 2008 in Madrid) and they were heavily rooting for Maccabi. ... Argentina's reporters were pretty bad (Tuesday during a 93-89 win over Brazil). There's different standards different places.'' FanHouse.com

Turkey, World Championship, Journalism 

American reporters actually don't show much emotion at all during international events, which no doubt comes from their journalism upbringing back home. Jerome Holtzman, a longtime Chicago baseball writer, even once wrote a book entitled, "No Cheering in the Press Box.' Nesobic said Americans don't need to cheer at these Worlds because the team is "is expected to win the gold.'' But Todorovic wonders if perhaps U.S. media members should cheer more at international events. "I think, yeah,'' Todorovic said. "I spent six months in America in Atlanta. I know that Americans love their flag, their anthem. They're proud of things. So why not be proud of your national team.'' FanHouse.com

Turkey, World Championship, Journalism