Italian coach Sergio Scariolo, Spanish basketball coach, considered that “it would not be very smart” to turn the successes achieved by the Spanish team in recent years “into negative energy” in the form of pressure, since they are “very proud” of everything they have won and is “a motivation”.
“Honestly, it would not be very smart that with all the effort we have made for so many years to achieve success, to turn it into negative energy. We are proud of what we have won, not only of the victories but of everything we have transmitted to the people. , that is an energy, a motivation, “he said after the presentation of the team at the headquarters of Endesa in Madrid.
“Obviously we are aware that there is a law of life that leads to a decline in pure and hard physical energy of some players and that others have to grow to maintain a high level competitiveness. The competition is growing, there are many more. Teams trained to win a medal, everyone who knows about this knows that. Pro is beautiful, a tough competition, which stimulates us, which leads us to give our best, and we always have this motivation, “added Scariolo.
The Italian coach accumulates seven medals at the head of the Spanish team (two Olympics in London 2012 and Rio 2016; the gold of China World Cup 2019, and three golds and one European bronze), and in that journey he considers that successes have been forged “by work, from the union, from spending difficult times together, from an ability to introduce new people”, and with respect to the latter recalled that in the call for 18 players to prepare for the Games there are four who put “their first foot” in the team.
Publicly acknowledging his amazement at the team’s “incredible longevity of veterans”, Scariolo called for the youth to step up. “Hopefully from now on young people will be burning stages and realize that they can get a leading role,” he added.
Among the players who act as a link between veterans and youth is the base of the Minnesotta Timberwolves Ricky Rubio, who expressed his doubts about coming to the Games and has lived through a difficult season, but who is finally in the team and whom Scariolo sees “to the fullest.”
“He is energetic, spirited, eager, communicative, helping young people with the leadership role he has always had and the responsibility to continue beyond this season. He has not reached the end of his career with the national team and is aware of it. Surely he will have some injury from a complicated season, but let’s not dramatize it either “, he analyzed on the Catalan base, of which he said he has quickly noticed” the revitalizing function that this group has for its members, which is unique. “