By Javier Molero/ jmolero@eurohoops.net
In 2006, Spain reached the pinnacle of world basketball for the first time. That gold medal in Japan, won by defeating Greece, was the prelude to the national team’s successes in the two decades that followed.
To mark the 20th anniversary, all the players reunited in Madrid for a special gala hosted by the Spanish Basketball Federation. Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jorge Garbajosa, Álex Mumbrú… legends reunited two decades later to reminisce about that pivotal moment in Spanish basketball.
“We didn’t realize the impact until we actually got there. I feel privileged to have been part of that moment with this great team and group of people,” commented Pau Gasol at the event.
Gasol recalled that final against Greece, where he stayed on the bench after being injured in the semifinals against Argentina. “I really enjoyed being a teammate; this group was incredible,” he said at the event.
Jorge Garbajosa, the current president of FIBA Europe, also shared a few words. “The semifinals against Argentina were the toughest game I’ve ever played,” said the former ACB champion with Unicaja.
“I remember it being a really fun tournament off the court, with a spectacular group that was incredibly enthusiastic,” he noted at the event.
Alongside them was Marc Gasol, who shared a funny anecdote. “I couldn’t believe I was in that group,” began the Grizzlies and Spanish basketball legend.
“They brought me along to ‘give my brother a hard time,‘” he continued, laughing. “In the final against Greece, they assigned me the mission of stopping Schortsanitis, and the whole group helped me with that. They made me feel like family, and I think that feeling has stayed with me over the years.”
After the event, Pau Gasol spoke to the media, emphasizing the importance of that milestone. The first of several medals that this Spanish generation would collect in EuroBasket, the Olympic Games, and World Championships.
“At that time, we were often compared to football, and I think we served as an example of what was to come. That unity, that enthusiasm. We weren’t fully aware of what we had achieved,” he said.
Sergio Rodríguez, one of the younger players on the team, made it very clear. “It’s the best team I’ve ever played with,” he said at the 20th anniversary celebration.
“Coach Pepu (Hernández) made us feel part of the group from the beginning, and both Rudy (Fernández) and I, who were the rookies, were ready to contribute whatever was needed,” commented ‘El Chacho’.
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