Garbajosa: "The 2022 of Spanish basketball will remain for the memory"

   MADRID, 26 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The president of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), Jorge Garbajosa, took stock of 2022, "a year that will remain in the memory" and in which work has been done "very well" by playing all the finals from the U16, to the At the same time, he predicted that the Spanish team will be "competitive" in the 2023 World Cup in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

"It has been a year that will remain to be remembered. We lived the summer with great intensity, the successes followed one after the other, almost every Sunday we played a different final until we reached the Eurobasket grand final. And that continuous succession of great successes, probably did not allow us to savor it properly. Now that more than three months have passed since Eurobasket was the last tournament, the aftertaste is getting sweeter," Garbajosa said in statements to FEB.

And playing the final of all the categories from the absolute masculine to the U16, masculine and feminine, is synonymous, for the president, that "there are many people working and working very well".

"We have to be realistic. This Eurobasket was not a transition championship but a construction championship, with a generation that had been working from the Windows but had never faced such an important tournament together. And you face Eurobasket probably with the highest level in history I remember the conversation with Rudy, who calls me and says: 'Presie, what if...?' And I say: 'Really?' And he answers me: 'And why not?' I have it recorded, because for me it was a boost of self-esteem, because I thought 'if these guys believe it, to death with them,' "he recounted.

And for Garbajosa, the great 'culprit' for the success of the senior team is the coach, Sergio Scariolo, "the great captain of this ship." "It has always been, and in this championship his leadership has possibly been more visible. There is a lot of talk about Sergio's slate, which is infinite, but I prefer something more ethereal probably but for me more decisive: convincing a series of players to prepare a defense that you have never coached before", he applauded.

"We bet on Lorenzo (Brown) for many reasons, we explain them many times, but there is also an analysis of what this team needs and what Lorenzo can give. And everything fits, everything fits, based on his desire to play with the selection and being part of Spanish basketball. From there the doors open wide, because we always talk about this team in all these years has been built through commitment, and its commitment is greater than giving up your nationality , it's beastly," he explained on the basis.

The next big goal will be the 2023 World Cup in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10, a tournament in which Garbajosa expects "the best from this team." "I know that in the World Cup we are going to be very competitive. Is he going to give us a medal? I don't know, I don't care much," he added.

Finally, the president of the FEB celebrated the signing of the "best coach in Europe by far", Miguel Méndez, for the women's team. "The Family is not just living together, it is competing, and how these players compete and how we are already preparing the Eurobasket for which we have qualified, makes me very optimistic and feeling something that is the most important thing this summer was difficult, that it was not having the feeling of wasted time", he concluded.