Quarterfinals, Spain vs. Serbia

[Frosties]

They had some success over the years but they don't have a bball tradition. Bull fighting is probably still more popular than basketball. Tradition is not only success, even Egypt has a Eurobasket medal. It includes media coverage, fan and player base. Spaniards always say they learned the game from us. Basketball in Spain became mainstream after the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. That vacuum you mention is actually the turning point. Complete reorganization from the core. This golden generation was made in the ACB league. Those "mistakes" from the 90s made this generation!

Do not go that stereotypical, please. Bball is the second sport in Spain. Not having a solid winning tradition does not mean having tradition at all. If you want to go face to face, you have also to pay attention to the fact that futsall is by far the most popular sport in Spain, so indoor hockey and some traditional sports all over the Iberia. Besides, tennis is extremely popular, a bigger choice of sports.

Even before 1992, Spanish clubs were top class in Europe. Have a look at the 80s or the 70s. The same applies for Israel, were bball is a popular sport. It is true that YU basketball had an important influence in Spain, of course it has.

Regarding media coverage, you give yourself an answer: howcome withou media coverage you have the ACB where out of 18 teams 6 are top class in Europe? By the way, ACB was created in 1982...

Spain will be there, as it has been. Maybe not winning as this last 4 years but it has always been there. I would not be that "happy"

My pleasure!

[Frosties]

They have a solid core with Rubio, Llul, Rudy and Marc but far from a contender.

To me Samb is the most tallented young player right now. And the key clubs bringing youngsters are Joventut and Estudiantes, only basketball clubs, not to mention Baskonia (Kaha Laboral, as you call it in Serbia ), a fantastic young academy (Scola, Nocioni, Oberto, Garbajosa, Calderón, Splitter...).

Regarding Mirotic, he is the one who chose Spain, not the opposite. All the Argentinians and Splitter have Spanish passport too, but they chose to compite for their countries (and who would reject them in the NT?).

[Srle]

But without Pau, we won't play at the same level. It happened 5 years ago, in EU Belgrade, and yesterday. Pau is the key, he's who make our team be one of the best, not just a good one.

Exactly Pau is the player who makes difference for Spain. I know lots of people claim Pau less Spain won the world championship in 2006 but the truth was he missed only the final game against Greece he was the most valuable player for the Spain before that injury as usual.

[Srle]

É o que tem nao saver ganhar... ou crer-ser melhor pelo feito de ser o que se é

I think Serbia is still in pain for suffering from Spain the most humillieting defeat ever in their glorious basketball history: the opening game of the EC 2005 in Novi Sad...

That is the difference between the old and the new country. They see whom they win not what they achieve....

That"s not even close to truth, the most embarrassing losses in our newer basketball history are those against New Zeland and China at the Olympics in 2004. We came to that tournament as the one of the favorites to win it all and we ended up second to last

[Luíz for 3]

First this:


Then...


What's up to come in the end of the semi-finals???

[FPJ]

Yes, and with Pau Spain lost a final and did NOTHING in the Olympics in 2004. Pau has been an excuse for many things in this EC and a terrible cover for players like his brother.

Lol, Pau made us an amazing team in 2006-09.

He is the best player you can have for a fiba tournament, and one of the best players overall. Even the Lakers would not be the champions right now without him.Also, he scored 29 points in the key match vs USA in 2004. And he is the key for spanish gold chances for the next few years.

Marc's poor performance is Marc' fault, not Pau's.

Spain is simply not that good team everyone in Spain expected before the WC, that's all, some good players, some regular players, like many other teams and one step behind the best teams in this WC.

And no, there are not excuses for wednesdays loss, Serbia deserved the win because the played better, and were always ahead, only Navarro's performance let us being fighting till the end.

[dxjayrock2008]

First this:


Then...


What's up to come in the end of the semi-finals???

Luis Scola got dupped there. Lol.

[Genjuro]

Basketball in Spain became mainstream after the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Wow, you look American, like if there wasn't basketball in Europe before the Dream Team came to show us how to play the game...

Basketball in Spain became mainstream (at least, as much mainstream as it has ever been here) after the Olympic silver medal in 1984. That was an incredible boost.

Indeed in 1992 Spain lost to Angola at the Olympic Games (a game known here as "Angolazo"), which cause damage to basketball interest in Spain.

Anyway, regarding Spanish tradition, you only need to check that Spain has been in the top-6 at the Eurobasket for something like 30 to 40 years, without barely any exception.

[Genjuro]

Regarding Mirotic, he is the one who chose Spain, not the opposite. All the Argentinians and Splitter have Spanish passport too, but they chose to compite for their countries (and who would reject them in the NT?).

Yes, it was Mirotic's decision, but it was a money decision. With the 5-Spanish-players quota placed in the ACB, he needed to be eligible to play for the Spanish National Team to qualify for it. If he had chosen Montenegro, he would be considered foreign in the ACB, regardless his passport.

When the Argentinians and Splitter came to Spain there was no quota, and besides many of those guys had already played for their youth NTs, which made impossible for them to switch to Spain.

[AirBall]

Grande cojones...

[Frosties]

Grande cojones...

Improve your grammar:

cojones grandes sounds much better. Un par de cojones is linguistically more acquarate....

Let me quote a Spanish coach, Lolo Sainz

"Saber ganar es más difícil que saber perder"

[FPJ]

And what's the problem? Can't he be happy?

[mbenga]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtYup8y4Py4

[mbenga]

there is no reason to be grumpy
this is not the end for Spain..they will be better team next year with Calderon..and some other coach..

I'd wish but looks like we'll have Scariolo for at least 2 more years.

[mbenga]

poor garba.. his hand stretches in exactly the same spot, too. and even though he wears a mask, I'm quite sure he has the exact same expression on his face

Quite unfair, Garbajosa that day did an amazing job defending Nowitzki, even in that last shot if there's anyone to blame it's Navarro for not being more agressive helping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGbgULwPFSY