Spain will send a team led by four NBA players – Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Juancho Hernangomez and Willy Hernangomez – to attend the FIBA Basketball World Cup, announced the team's head coach, Sergio Scariolo.
CGTN Photo by Fan Chenxiao
The team's biggest name, of course, is Gasol. The 2.16-meter giant just won his first NBA Championship with the Raptors in June after defeating the Golden State Warriors in the Finals. He made his World Cup debut in 2006 in Japan and, by the way, Spain won the title that year by defeating multiple strong opponents including former Serbia and Montenegro, Lithuania, Argentina and Greece.
"I'm going to try to keep this successful streak going by coming back home from China with something, a medal for example, that would be amazing. I just won an NBA title, and I really want more and more. I've won a lot with the national team since I first played at senior level, but I want to keep winning and be with the guys to keep making history for Spanish basketball," said Gasol to FIBA.
Marc Gasol (R) of Spain drives against defense of USA in the warm-up game, August 18, 2019. /VCG Photo
As for the other three from the NBA, Rubio will play his third World Cup while the Hernangomez brothers, Juanho and Willy will compete for the first time in the tournament.
"We want to have another great campaign and continue with the same dynamics as the last international competitions we participated at in the last couple of years. We won gold at the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 in France, we won bronze in Rio (Olympics) the year after and we won another bronze medal in the last EuroBasket," said Willy Hernangomez to FIBA.
"I see a lot of teams (in the medal hunt). It used to be the U.S. team and one of the other generations, like Spain or Argentina, who can play toe-to-toe with them. Now we have a lot of countries who can compete. Not just to play in the Final. But also to beat USA. Spain, of course, but also France, Australia...a lot of good teams out there who can compete and win the gold medal," Rubio said, ready for his third go at the world summit.
Sergio Llull #23 and Rudy Fernandez #5 of Spain in the warm-up game against USA, August 18, 2019. /VCG Photo
Of course, Spain will not only rely on their NBA squad. Veterans like Claver, Llull, Fernandez and Ribas are all outstanding players in the European basketball world. Moreover, 30-year-old Colom who played every qualifier game of Spain and dropped the highest 13.7 points, 4.8 assists on average, also made the final list.
Spain are in Group C with Tunisia, Iran and Puerto Rico and they will meet the first opponent at the Guangzhou Gymnasium on August 31.