Fran Vázquez has watched Spain take international basketball by storm the past four years.

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Now he wants to play for the national team for the 2010 World Championships; for the first time since his promising EuroBasket 2005 when the 6ft 10in power forward/center helped Spain reach the Semi-Finals.

“If (Spain coach Sergio) Scariolo calls me up, I will go to the World Championship with the national team,” Vazquez said. “I have never shut the door to the national team.”

Vazquez, who was selected 11th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, was named MVP of the Copa del Rey after leading Barcelona to victory two weeks ago.

Spain will likely be without their superstar Pau Gasl, so Vazquez would be even more of a welcome addition to the international powerhouse team.

The 26-year old had been in the squad for the 2006 FIBA World Championship but withdrew due to a back injury and hasn’t been included since, although he decided to make himself unavailable last summer in Poland when Spain won the EuroBasket gold medal for the first time.

“I spoke to Sergio Scariolo and I explained why I could not go to the last EuroBasket for personal reasons,” Vazquez said. “He understood it. If he calls me up, I will go to the World Championship because I am the first to be enthusiastic and I would be proud to compete for a medal in a World Championship or at the Olympics.”

In 2006, Marc Gasol replaced Vazquez in the squad and helped Spain win the gold medal. The following two years, Spain settled for silver at the EuroBasket in Spain and the 2008 Olympics.

Last year, Spain captured their first-ever EuroBasket gold medal in Poland.

In Turkey, Spain will play in Izmir in the Preliminary Round against France, Canada, New Zealand, Lithuania and Lebanon.

Read the original article at FIBA.com.