No one in Spain wants the dream to end. selection players this Sunday he will fight with france for gold European basketball At the Mercedes Arena in Berlin (20.30, Tele 5), with the feeling that the fairy tale that Sergio Scariolo talks about leaves enemies on the way and can only have a happy ending. Removing the title would have been just the icing on the cake to complete an outstanding Eurobasket.
Starting the tournament against Bulgaria on September 1, there has been a strong transformation in the team, which is far from the candidates’ predictions and will today re-release one of Europe’s greatest basketball classics at the national team level. Spain today is a safe bloc of its forcesA star-studded team led by the intimidating Rudy Gobert who radiates ambition and, after destroying all possibilities, seek to surprise France in the final battle.
“France is a team with another physical dimension, which would be fun to play against a talented and athletic team,” says Sergio Scariolo. “We’ll try to invent something to be competitive.”
the tenth final
Having accumulated ten finals in its history, Spain is chasing its fourth continental title in one match. The 2011 final will be re-released in Lithuania. In this final, the team led by Pau Gasol and tournament MVP Juan Carlos Navarro defeated Tony Parker’s France. Left out of this team is Rudy Fernández, 37, who equaled Pau’s 11 medals at this tournament and beat him in number of games in a Eurobasket. The Madrid forward confessed to his teammates and captained to spread his enthusiasm in the dressing room.
The value of choice in this championship, be able to compete at the highest level in a transitional phaseWith the withdrawal of key players like the Gasol brothers or Sergio Rodríguez, and overcoming heavy losses like 2019 World Cup MVP Ricky Rubio, who built with seven players suffering from a blocky, transition. Moreover, Spain is a prime example of the victory of teams in this Eurobasket against star-led teams like Jokic (Serbia), Doncic (Slovenia) or Antetokounmpo (Greece) who seem to be called up to fight for the title.
“Nobody trusted us, nobody trusted the tournament before, but we looked at each other in the locker room and saw ourselves as champions.. We all feel important, this is our secret”, says Juancho Hernangómez, to highlight Spain’s construction process under Scariolo, a key factor for success for many.
key parts
Players appear alongside Rudy so that the team can overcome difficult moments. Willy Hernángomez, the player who dragged his teammates, became the leader. But the performances of nationalized point guard Lorenzo Brown were decisive in paving the way to the final, especially against Lithuania (28 points and 8 assists) and Germany (29 points and 6 assists), and the punctual appearances of Alberto’s Juancho Hernángómez. Díaz or Dío Brizuela also maintains its lump sum power.
“We’re in the final, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. It’s going to be a tough final, it’s very complex. But we’re fighters and we’re going to give our best every second of the game,” says Willy Hernangómez in the team’s locker room.