Albert Oliver completes his marathon at the border of 44 years

Achieving Obradoiro's permanence in the ACB for the 11th consecutive year has been his last great achievement.

Albert Oliver, Terrassa, 43 years old (on June 4 he will turn 44), announced this Thursday through a statement his retirement after 25 seasons as a professional basketball player.

On Saturday, in the duel against Valencia at the Fontes do Sar in Santiago de Compostela, the Catalan point guard will culminate his marathon career.

He leaves the second oldest player in the history of the ACB League, only behind the American Darryl Middleton who, in 2011, wore the Valencia shirt at the age of 44 and nine months.

With

2,073 assists distributed to date, Oliver is also fourth in the historical ranking of the competition in that section, only behind

Pablo Laso, Marcelinho Huertas and Nacho Azofra.

And he ranks seventh in games played, with 674, just three behind

Álex Mumbrú, who retired in 2017 with 677.

The day has come to share this letter.

Thank you

. The day has arrived to share this letter.

Thanks#BaldMambaisOut pic.twitter.com/N9QhSsvofU

– Albert Oliver (@albertoliver11) May 12, 2022

“I started playing at school when I was six years old and left when I was 43. I cannot describe in words what basketball has meant to me, but what I can say is that I have enjoyed it every day.

And a lot, ”Oliver explains in his letter of thanks

Always with perseverance as a style guide, he debuted in the ACB with Alfred Julbe's Joventut in the 1997-98 campaign but, as a metaphor for his steep route, his slope soon began to harden in Badalona.

The rise of Raül López and the return of Rafa Jofresa left him without a place in the Penya.

journey

with stops in Lleida (1999-2001), Manresa (2001-2006), Valencia (2006-2009), Madrid (Students 2009-2011), Badalona again (2011-2013), Gran Canaria (2013-2019), Seville (Betis 2019-2020) and finally Santiago, with Moncho Fernández's

, who has spent 12 seasons at the helm of the Galician team and is the European coach with the longest time spent on the same bench in the big leagues.

Two silent record holders together.

“Thanks to all my coaches”, continues Oliver in his message: “to Pedrosa, Xavi Pastor, Joaquim Costa, Alfred Julbe, Miquel Nolis, Edu Torres, Ricard Casas, Xavi García, Óscar Quintana, Fotis Katsikaris, Neven Spahija, Luis Casimiro , Salva Maldonado, Pedro Martínez, Aíto, Sergio Scariolo, Víctor García, Curro Segura and Moncho Fernández.

For demanding me, respecting me and making me a better player.

And to all the assistant coaches for collaborating on it, ”lists the point guard in the text that he resisted writing for years.

It's been a long time since

he stopped imagining perfect retirements because he decided that it would be basketball that would retire him.

"I would play until I was 60 if they let me, but it's impossible," he confessed to EL PAÍS in 2020, after arriving in Santiago de Compostela with a two-month temporary contract to prolong his passion.

“The challenge is to continue enjoying basketball.

At my age it is very difficult to be able to do what I like.

Let's see how long it lasts ”, he said then.

His particular

of him was enough to complete two more seasons.

MORE INFORMATION

Moncho Fernández and Albert Oliver: "The key to endure is to think only of tomorrow"

"It is never too late (...).

There is no time limit”, says Brad Pitt in the character of Benjamin Button.

And the strange case of Albert Oliver's longevity led him to become, in November 2017, the oldest debutant in the history of the Spanish basketball team after two decades in the elite of the ACB, at 39 years, five months and 20 days.

What has been the great success of his career? They asked him in a talk with Moncho Fernández at the beginning of this season.

“In my case, adapting to everything, without a doubt.

Consistency is also a path to success.

I have been lucky that my career has never been based on physique.

I had a time when I was very fast and jumped a lot, but most of the time it hasn't been like that and that's why I've always learned to adapt to everything... the team, the rivals, the teammates,

to the coaches… Knowing when it is important that you score points or when you have to make the team play without looking at the basket…”, he answered.

And the best memory of his career?

“The Super Cup with Gran Canaria and the unforgettable image of seeing the airport full to receive us.

And then the school league at school.

We met up with our teammates to walk to the games.

That stage, even as a child, I remember as something very beautiful”, recalled Oliver.

“And thanks to luck.

Why luck?

Because there are things in life that you cannot choose.

You cannot choose your parents, your brother, your children and the person you fall in love with and I did not choose, but luckily, I have the best by my side, ”Albert Oliver closes in his letter.

"To something else butterfly".

The goal of the marathon has led him to distribute assists and teaching until the border of 44 years.

Oliver, in 2001 with Manresa, and this season with Obradoiro.

abcphoto

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