The forward of the Spanish team Rudy fernandez thought that his partner Real Madrid Usman Garuba, in his first call at 19 years old, he has to “be a sponge” to learn from national team players such as Gasol brothers in the preparatory concentration of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“Usman has to be a sponge right now to learn from a lot of the players that are on this team. He is 19 years old, he is a player who has a lot of margin and the luck that I have is that I have lived it this year, I know that he is working, listening and looking at players who can help him for his career, “he explained.
These Olympic Games will be the last opportunity for several players from the most winning generations in the history of Spanish basketball, some of them who will play their fifth Games, such as Rudy or Pau Gasol, who were already in Athens 2004.
“For many of us it may be our last Olympiad. You have to face it as what it is, a championship where all athletes come together. We are aware of how hard it is going to be because the format changes with respect to what we know, “warned Rudy, who assured that” the desire must always be there and more knowing that it may be the last opportunity to be all together. “
This group has added three medals in the last three Games, the silver in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and the bronze in Rio 2016. “The medals are not given away, competing for them makes you climb a step. We are aware of how well We have done it these last Olympics and we want to continue in that dynamic, “he added.
Spain will face host Japan in the group stage of the Games, the world runner-up Argentina -which it defeated in the final of China 2019- and a third rival who will come out of the pre-Olympic in Kaunas (Lithuania), which is disputing this week and in which Slovenia and Lithuania are favorites.
In the concentration they do not lose sight of that pre-Olympic. “We are seeing it, I will not deceive you, some games and summaries. Slovenia as we know well has a great group, a good team, and Lithuania playing at home can be a very strong team, “he analyzed.
The Spanish team will play its first preparation match against Iran this Saturday in Valencia (4:00 pm). “The objective has to be to follow the dynamics that we are in these training sessions. Try, with everything we have worked in Madrid, to have a good game tomorrow, “said Rudy.
With the return of Pierre Oriola on Wednesday, the selection is already full and this Thursday it had the traditional tuition dinner in which the new internationals run with the bill, which this time was food. “The truth is that they behaved”Rudy joked.