“Do you have time?” Thus began to answer the coach of the Joventut, Dani Miret, when asked about the figure of Pau Ribas. 20 years in the elite give a lot, more with the greenish formation that had the escort and The postpartid against Tenerife was one more proof than the captain of the Penya means For his team, his hobby, his club and also his city.
Therefore, in the last meeting of the regular season, against Casademont Zaragoza, Badalona's Olimpic was overflowing with a whole population that wanted to say goodbye to one of his own. And that is why, despite being eliminated from the play-off for the Endesa League title on Wednesday, Many fans of Joventut Badalona wanted to stay in the stands for a while, to be able to give a last goodbye to Pau Ribaswhich gave solo a return of honor by saying one by one of all the remaining greenish.
Basketball and Badalona by the hand
“He is a 24 -hour basketball person,” Miret explained, Ribas Com Professional coachbut also a friend with whom the Catalan escort has grown up. A player yes, but above all a greenish fan since he was born and since he entered the Joventut with four years: “It is very important for the Penya to have a person who interests him so much the idiosyncrasy of the club, that he really took care of the base and saw some Saturday in a match.”
“It is very the Penya and it is very Badalona, in addition to a madman of the basketball that has made a racing” were some of the Praise that Miret dedicated in the almost five minutes of clock that was responding only about Pau Ribas. Some praise that were not closed only to the person, but also to the behavior of the player and the competitor that the Badalona escort carries inside and that they have made it important in all the shirts that have been angry.
“Pau made a defensive specialist and won a World Cup with the Spanish team, defending the best in the world. Next to the gasol and company, but being specialist in a role that nobody wants to do. But he did it to win. “A few words from Dani Miret that are easily explained by looking at the results, since Ribas has won a minimum title in all the teams in which he has been, something that his coach perfectly defined:” There are many players, but players who win their team are not so many. “
The emotion of the protagonist
“My last game was with a trophy or a defeat and it has been pretty, here in Badalona” They were the words of Pau Ribas once the encounter ended. Although the born competitor in him was annoyed for not being able to extend the series, after 20 years of successful career the feelings that predominate were those of joy: “I am grateful and I had a great time. I started with four years, this I love and Being a professional player of the team that you are amateur and the city you are has an incalculable value. “
A Ribas who affirmed that he wanted to end and that he was very satisfied with his end, although in statements at the foot of the track, Movistar+, he showed a lot of emotion thinking about all the people who have helped him in his career: “Many people, I have crossed with many people. I keep the way, in 20 years as a professional I have made many friends. The family has always been there, but I get friends for a lifetime. ”
Precisely, One of those friends is Ricky Rubio, present at the Olimpic this Wednesday. A Ricky who could not be in the tribute to the escort against Zaragoza, but who did not want to lose for anything the match against Tenerife. A sample of how much it means to Pau Ribas: “He is an important person in my career and myself helped me up the level. If he had not appeared, this career that I have enjoyed so much would not have been of such a high level. I have always thanked him to have crossed it, we have helped each other and I am happy that he could have been here “
