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The History

The best spanish basketball team ever was the one who was runner-up in the 1984 Olympics (against the team with Jordan, Ewing and so, and in the semifinals beating the Yugoslavian team who ruled Europe in those years). It included the first spanish in the NBA, Fernando Martin (in fact, the second european who arrive to the league without playing in the NCAA). They were legends: the guys who play now grew with the remembrance of that team.

After that, Spain has been almost always amongst the top-five teams in the world. It used to be a quick team, with small but tough players in the paint, good (but not great) shooters, and clever point guards. Last year, they were the runner-up in the European Championship, loosing in the final against Lithuania. In the World Championship, they beat the States for the fifth place.

The current Team Spain is a little bit different. They aren't as good at the point guard spot (Raul Lopez chose not to play), they're a little bit stronger inside, not too good at shooting, but better at defending. Almost everyone on this team (Gasol, Navarro, Calderón, Reyes) played on Youth Champion in Lisbon five years ago; a squad that beat the US Team in the final. They have been playing together ever since that point, so they have plenty of experience as a unit.

The Coach

Mario Pesquera is the coach as of just two months ago. The team hasn´t lost with him: seven exhibition games, five Olympics games, all wins. To say the least, it has been a surprise for us. Pesquera has been six years without coaching, working in the Spanish Federation. He was chosen becouse he was cheap. The previous coach, Moncho Lopez, left the Spanish Team because of a better economic offer for a very small team in the spanish league.

When he coached in the past, Pesquera was famous because of his teams' slow tempo; it was the time of the 30 seconds rule in the international rules, and his teams typically only scored around 60 points. Amazingly, he seems to have changed a lot in the Spanish Team. He´s good in strategy. He likes defense.

The Players

The main difference between the US Team and the international ones are that the roles of Spanish players are more clear. We have a Boss, Pau Gasol; a Clever Shooter, Juan Carlos Navarro; a tough guy, Carlos Garbajosa...

You know enough about Gasol. Let´s discuss the others:

- Juan Carlos Navarro: Undersized shooting-guard, very clever, has some problems playing defense. Close friend to Gasol, they have played together in the young team of Barcelona, besides the Spanish Team, for years. He prefers to penetrate than shoot. He, and not Gasol, was the star in the Youth Championship, in Lisbon. He will become a father for the first time this week, and seems to be a little bit out of it in his play in this Olympics. The Washington Wizards have the draft rights for him, but he prefers to be the star in the Barcelona team rather than be a 7th or 8th man in the NBA... although I think he could be a starter for some NBA teams. Anyway, he will earn the same money, while getting to stay at home.

- Juan Carlos Calderón: The point-guard is playing above expectation these days. He used to be under the shadow of Lopez. Good shooter, nice defender. There were rumours that the Chicago Bulls were interested in him. I´m not sure he could play in the NBA.

- Carlos Garbajosa: A forward-Center, standing 6-8 tall. He has played in Italy for the last few seasons, adding toughness to his great skills. Good three-point shooter. He will be back in Spain next season. He could play in the NBA, I´m quite sure.

- Carlos Jiménez: The captain, a little bit older than almost the rest of the team. Good defender, helps a lot in the rebound. He uses to have more offensive responsabilities in his team, Estudiantes Madrid.

That's the starting five for Spain's Olympic basketball team. Other players:

- Jaume Comas: A backup point-guard. Just played a couple of seasons in the main Spanish league. To take him has been a risky decission by Pesquera, because there is no other point on the team. He hasn´t been comfortable on the team yet.

- Rudy Fernández: Just 18 years old, Fernandez is Spain's talent for the future. Good shooter. Immature. If everything goes as we expect, he will be in the NBA in three or four years. To go before would be a kind of Milicic-mistake.

- Rodrigo de la Fuente: Strong, rugged forward, although not very tall (6-5).

- Felipe Reyes: A center in the spanish-style: not tall, quite tough, clever in the offense. He has been in the core of the main transaction of the postseason, passing from one club in Madrid to the other.

- Iker Iturbe: He played for Clemson till 1998. Strong forward, good three-point shooting.

- Oscar Yebra: Shooter, almost not used during the Olympics.

- Roberto Dueñas: The tallest guy in the team, 7-3. Obvious physical problems. Drafted by Chicago six years ago. Not a key part of the squad.

If Spain's Olympic basketball team wins a medal, it will be a big upset for Spanish basketball, which after a period where the public and the media had little interest is gaining popularity. Now, basketball is fighting to be the second best sport for Spain; soccer is of course the first, Formula 1 is having great tv ratings, and cycling at the moment isn't doing well.

Spain vs. the United States on Thursday should be a very memorable game.