AUCKLAND (FIBA U19 World Championship) – The whole basketball world is talking about Mike Rosario after he scored 54 points on 18/29 shooting to lead Puerto Rico to a thrilling 90-89 victory over France.

Paulo Kennedy from www.fiba.com spent some time with basketball’s newest star after the game, to find out about the choice he faced between Puerto Rico and the USA, and just how much basketball means to the people of the tiny Caribbean nation.

FIBA: What an amazing game – 54 points!

Rosario: I knew today was do or die for us. That was a team we played in France and they beat us by one at the tournament there, and I just knew that this game meant so much to me, my country and my teammates.

I just told coach that I was going to go out and give it everything I had. I went out there and I prayed last night, and I prayed before the game and everything went right for me today. I am just so happy.

Did you have it in your mind today that you had to be aggressive and that you had to score a lot of points?

Yeah. At the start of the game I already knew in my mind that I had to be more aggressive, because I was aggressive in France as well. This was the second time they had seen me so I knew they would be aggressive with me, so I came out from the beginning.

You run so hard in transition, does it help having two other guards on the court who can find you when you are open?

Yeah, that’s my brother, Jio Fontan, so I played four years of high school with him. So when I run the floor with him and Raymond Cintron, the other guard, I already know they are going to find me. I am so used to running in transition with those guys that it is easy for me.

France were seven points up with about three minutes to go, what were you thinking then?

I just crossed my fingers, I thought please God, please God help us out here, and He helped us out.

I am not sure people who aren’t from Puerto Rico can understand, but how much does it mean to play basketball for Puerto Rico?

It means a lot because in Puerto Rico they take basketball so seriously, but for me to play for that country and to have that opportunity … that is the full word because I could have had the best of both worlds, I could have played with the USA team as well, but I figured I wanted to start something new as a legacy in my life.

And the experience of being over there (Puerto Rico) and the basketball they take so seriously, it means a lot to me, and I am just thankful to God.

Why did you choose to play for Puerto Rico?

My mom is from Puerto Rico. So that’s why I have the privilege to play with them.

Your family and friends back home, what does this win mean to them?

This will mean a lot to them. I know they are sitting there and they are on the computer looking at the stats and when they see that we won and how I played… I am just thankful that they are excited as well and that we have another chance to move on.

Have you ever scored 50 points before?

Yeah, I actually scored 50 points one time in the States when I was playing in a summer league. But that was just a playful league, this means a lot, this is the world championship! And I scored 54 points!

When you came to New Zealand were you expecting to beat Lithuania and France?

Yeah, we are expecting to beat everybody we play. We are going to come out and always give it 100%. Everybody thought that we were the underdogs, we knew we just had to go out there and find our ways, and we just had to fight.

You have got the USA tomorrow, what would it mean to beat them?

That would mean a lot. We are just going to go out there tomorrow and give it everything we’ve got, we’re just going to work our butts off tomorrow.

It was a pleasure watching you play today, good luck tomorrow and for the rest of the tournament.

Thank you very much and hello to my friends and family and everyone in Puerto Rico.

Paulo Kennedy
FIBA