CARACAS (Rio 2016 Olympics) - Greivis Vasquez oozes with talent, and moxie. He plays with swagger. Only in 2015, he didn't play.

And Venezuela, to the surprise of many, not only won games without him. They captured the FIBA Americas Championship title for the first time in their history.

With Vasquez not making himself available, Nestor 'Che' Garcia's team pulled off a major upset, beating a star-laden Canada in a thrilling Semi-Final. In doing so, Venezuela clinched a spot in the Olympics for the first time since 1992, when the Games were held in Barcelona.

The vinotinto then put an exclamation mark on their 2015 performance by beating Argentina to reach the top of the podium. It was a remarkable summer, indeed.

Vasquez, who underwent ankle surgery in December and played only 23 games for Milwaukee this season, is hoping to be with Venezuela when they compete in Rio de Janeiro. They will be in Group A with the United States, China, Australia and two winners of FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

When asked about Vasquez, whom he had strained relations with last summer, Venezuelan Basketball Federation president Carmelo Cortez answered that the door remains open to the country's most famous player.

We believe that Greivis is a crucial piece in the Venezuela national team, but neither Che Garcia, nor I believe that anyone is indispensable. In Mexico we did it without Greivis, we would want to do it in Rio with Greivis, but if he is not going to be there, we're going to keep working. - Cortez

The signs are good that Vasquez will be reunited with his teammates. He has been in touch with the federation about the plans for the summer.

"Greivis has had contact with us through our head of national teams, Oswaldo Narvaez; moreso, on the trip to the United States that our communications director Reiner Izturriaga, (Greivis) signed the documents (to be in the pre-selection)," Cortez said in remarks carried by liderendeportes.com.

"We are making the necessary moves so that when Greivis wants to come to the national team, we will welcome him how he and the other players deserve. Obviously, there are rules that everyone has to comply with, that have to do with internal discipline. In order to be in the national team, we have to comply with important rules that the FVB has."

FIBA