Sacramento Kings guard Greivis Vasquez won’t play for Venezuela in the FIBA Americas Championship, as he continues to recover from ankle surgery that took place in May: “The explosive NBA guard, traded earlier this summer from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Sacramento Kings, was desperate to play in front of his home-town fans in Caracas for the second consecutive summer but will have to settle for being a fan as the Venezuelans attempt to qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. ‘My ankle is much better and Dr (Richard) Ferkel told me that I have his permission to begin training on the pick-and-roll, lateral movements and changes in direction,’ he said. ‘He stressed that I need a gradual recovery to reach my optimum level. I would like to play (at the FIBA Americas Championship), it’s a desire that I feel in my heart, but at the same time I understand this is the correct decision I am sure that I will be an important player in the future of the national team of Venezuela.’ For Venezuela to reach the FIBA Basketball World Cup, they will need to have a top-four finish at the FIBA Americas Championship.”