SAITAMA, Japan - Juan Carlos Navarro is raring to lead Spain to the top of world basketball but he's not quite ready to find himself a place in the ultimate stardom of the US National Basketball Association.

"I'm mature enough as a player to go there," the 26-year-old Barcelona shooting guard said as Spain was gearing up for a semi-final clash with Olympic champion Argentina here on Friday at the World Basketball Championship.

"Of course, I'm aware of the fact that there are very many NBA scouts and people looking at us," he added. "But I'll just come out and play my best like I always do whenever I play with my national team or my club."

Navarro joined Pau Gasol, a 2.13m (seven-foot) centre with the NBA

Memphis Grizzlies, in powering Spain past Lithuania 89-67 in a quarter-final Tuesday.

"We have a lot of good players on this team. Juan Carlos and myself are two of those," Gasol said.

Spain has remained unbeaten in 16 matches this year, including seven at this event, where stars NBA standouts play for their country. Navarro scored an average 14.6 points a game, second only to Gasol's 21.6 in their team.

The Iberians have won the Olympic silver in 1984 and the bronze in 1980 but never a world championship medal, coming close to finish fourth in 1982.

"We are going to try and make history," said Navarro, who can nail long three-point shots from anywhere and sink lightning-like layups that have earned him the nickname "la bomba" (the bomb).

And Navarro, who has played for Barcelona since 1996, insisted he had no time to dwell on an NBA career which has eluded him once.

In 2002, he was picked by the

Washington Wizards in the NBA Draft. But the deal, involving transfer money of 10 million dollars, did not go through.

"There will be times when I think about NBA in the future again but right now the only thing that matters is the championship," said the 191-centimeter (

6-foot-3) player whose contract with Barcelona lasts until 2009.

Despite the botched deal with the NBA, his career has blossomed with Spain's ACB, which is considered the best league in Europe. He was named the league Most Valuable Player last season.

At the European championship last year, he placed only behind German Dirk Nowitzki, a star power forward with the NBA

Dallas Mavericks, in scoring average when Spain finished fourth.

Navarro also combined with Gasol and NBA

Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon to shock the world of basketball at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Spain beat Argentina and Italy to remain unbeaten in the preliminary round. But it lost to the United States in the quarter-finals and finished seventh while Argentina claimed the gold and Italy the silver.

Argentina, led by NBA

San Antonio Spurs shooting Emanuel Ginobili, must be motivated to avenge losses to Spain in two world warm-up matches, Navarro said.

"They are a complete squad," he warned. "They have a very strong inside game. So it's a very solid team."