By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Willy Hernangómez, the towering center for Barcelona and the Spanish national team, spoke candidly about last season, criticism, and life off the court during the podcast La Bombilla.
When asked about criticism of his defensive play, Hernangómez was frank:
“I accept all criticism, and honestly, half of it doesn’t bother me. I only care about what people who know—like the coach, the staff, my teammates, or my family—say. The rest haven’t had my career and have no idea,” he said, per Mundo Deportivo.
He also highlighted the difference between club and national team defense:
“In the national team, I defend well because everyone is clear about their responsibilities, everyone defends well, and people are selfless. We all know we’ll help each other—it’s a team trust job.”
Off the court, Hernangómez focuses on training and staying grounded:
“I don’t go out partying; I stay at home training all day. That’s the world of social media… You can post whatever you want. Are they going to criticize you? They will criticize everything; there are people bored at home, and it’s easy to criticize behind a screen.”
He reflected on how he used to react to criticism:
“Before, I used to get really mad when I played a bad game and got insulted, but let’s see how many dare to say it to your face when they see a guy who’s 2.11 meters tall. Even in the NBA.”
Hernangómez also addressed the reported tense conversation with former Barcelona head coach Roger Grimau:
“I’m a very calm person, and to make me lose it, I’ve had to endure a lot. Things get leaked from our group, from our locker room. Later, for example, this past year, things happened that were much worse but weren’t leaked. I don’t know who leaks things, and I’d like to know.”
Reflecting on last season, he admitted to struggling emotionally:
“I had a difficult moment of losing love and passion for basketball—it was this last season. I thought, ‘I don’t feel happy or comfortable with what I’m doing.’ I tried to find a way, but there comes a point when you can’t do it alone. I talked to my family and decided to seek help and work on emotions and mental health. It’s very important. It helped me a lot; it was like reconnecting my head like a puzzle.”
Returning to Barça in 2023 after more than six years in the NBA, Hernangómez opened up about the offers he had on the table:
“I’m from Real Madrid’s youth system, and I would have liked things to have gone differently, but the offer they made me wasn’t… as if it hadn’t existed. I had offers from several EuroLeague teams, one very, very good from Panathinaikos before my brother signed there, but I wanted to be at home. Barça bet on me and gave me the opportunity to play in Barcelona, which is an incredible city. I have one year left, and I want it to be a good year—we deserve it.”