He is "concerned about the current situation" following the Corona • believes that the Euroleague "works selfishly" • and praises Israeli basketball: "A lot of young progress" • President of the Spanish Basketball Association and former star in an exclusive interview
Garbahosa.
"It should be important for everyone that national team basketball is strong"
Photography:
Alberto Nevado / FEB
Jorge Garabhosa is known to basketball fans from his long and glorious career as one of the leading players of the golden age of Spanish basketball in the first decade of the millennium.
Today he is one of the most important and influential people in world basketball.
In 2016, he was appointed president of the Spanish association, which is considered one of the strongest in Europe, and two months ago he was elected for another term.
According to various sources, it is not inconceivable that in the future he will run for the position of President of FIBA Europe.
"I am concerned about the current situation," said
Garbahosa in
an exclusive interview with Israel Today ahead of the Israeli team's game against Spain in the 2022 European Championship qualifiers (Saturday, 20:30). "The corona plague is hitting Spain hard.
"There are teams that are very much affected by the economic situation, but overall we manage to keep the league active, especially for the fans."
How do you see the continuation of the basketball season in Europe in this situation?
"The national leagues are getting along overall. In European factories when you have to travel from country to country it is already much more complex. In my opinion, FIBA is doing a good job regarding the national team games in the bubbles, and I call on the Euroleague to check that as well.
It could make the situation easier. "
Garbahosa is not just reminiscent of the Euroleague.
As one of the strongest people in Fiba he does not hesitate to attack the conduct of the competing factory management: “Basketball must be organized under one orderly body.
"FIBA always tries to support the leagues and that is very significant. If the Euroleague continues to decide things on our own we will know how to get along, but they need to remember that there is another side."
It seems you do not like the conduct of the Euroleague.
"True, I think their conduct is not good. When you decide alone you are selfish. Basketball is not football, there is a more unified mentality and decisions must not be made alone that weaken everyone. A decision of one body can greatly affect others, and sometimes there are bad situations that happen because there is no coordination".
In the new format of national team games in the middle of the season NBA and Euroleague players do not come. It's probably not something fans want to see.
"First of all, it is impossible to compare the situation of NBA players and Euroleague players, because the Euroleague is a European framework. You will see the football where the leagues stop in favor of the national team window thanks to the cooperation between FIFA and UEFA. We support our teams and they are very important, but the basis of basketball is the national teams, because they represent the countries, and the more interesting the national teams, the more fans watch the games, and in any case they also watch the leagues.
"In Spain, 9 million people watched the last Mondovaxt final, from a country of just over 40 million people. These are numbers that are not seen in teams. It should be important for everyone that national team basketball be strong."
"The Spanish coaches are the best in the world"
Under the management of Garbahosa, Spanish basketball continues to flourish.
Except for the senior team winning the world championship last year, the young teams reach the decisive stages in almost all tournaments and the number of young players advancing each year is enormous.
"It's not easy and we are very proud of our work," he says, "Basketball in Spain is very important. One of the main reasons for success is our coaches. I respect everyone, but I truly believe that Spanish basketball coaches are the best in the world. We have coaches in the NBA. "Throughout Europe, South America and Africa, because teams know their level and want them. It's important to have good coaches, because that's how they produce good players. We also invest a lot in giving young players a stage and making great efforts to bring the game into the schools."
Do you remember the European Under-20 Championship final in 2019 that Spain lost to Israel?
"Of course I remember. It was a tough game for us, because that summer we had gold medals in all the teams except this age. It was an incredible game. It was amazing to watch a full hall, with a great and supportive crowd and wonderful players. We lost to a good team with a great crowd that pushed "In general, there is wonderful basketball in Israel and you can see that in recent years you have a lot of talented young people who are progressing. Let's see your team now in Valencia."
After winning the World Cup, are you going to rejuvenate the team?
"We talk a lot about it. We do not have a single year in which we replace a yearbook. It is a process of renewal. Of the team that won the 2016 World Cup, only two players remain on the squad for the 2019 championship. We have a lot of good young players and middle-aged players. "Our strength. To combine young and old. It helps young people understand the importance of the team. Every year we change one or two players and it helps us stay in the top all the time."
And the question is, will Pao Gasol play in the Olympics in Tokyo?
"I really hope so. Unfortunately there is a question mark around this, but he puts in a tremendous effort and does his best physically and mentally. How to be champions and how to be professionals.
He shows them how important it is to represent your country. "
Many say that as a Garbahus player he was actually ahead of his time.
He was tall with good marksmanship even before it went into fashion.
"I remember when I started training for shots outside the arc it was a bit weird," he says, "today it's normal and there are a lot of players like me, for example Nikola Mirotic and others."
Some experts claim that there is a very large load on the players and this causes injuries. You also suffered some serious injuries that hurt you in your career. What do you think about this claim?
"I'm not an expert, but it could be that the pressure on the players and the increased contact on the pitch hurt the players and one of the causes of injuries, but that's something that should be asked of the experts."
What is your big goal as president of the Spanish association?
"Only one thing - I do not want to be in this position forever, and on the day I retire I want to think that basketball is a little better than it is today."