This is The obituary of an era. The final chronicle of the most golden years of Spanish basketball, which are sold out symbolically (or not so much) SERGIO SCARIOLOwho is already waiting for Real Madrid for his preseason. The embers of glory definitely turned off this Thursday, with Spanish elimination in the first phase of the Eurobasket at the hands of Greece (86-90). A multiorgan failure, with a last spasm loaded with pride and admirable tenacity, in a certain foreseeable way, no matter how much the selection added 11 semifinals in a row in the European tournament, of which he was in force champion. Today, signs the worst position in its history.
It is not that Spain loses the utopian possibility of revalidating the title won in 2022, is that It has not even proven to be one of the 16 best selections in the tournament. A cruel slap of reality. There were errors on this five -game journey, of course, but the reality is that this Spain did not give much more than it has offered. Not without Brown, Alberto Diaz, Ricky, llull, rudy, rudy, abalde, gunba. Let's not say without the myths of yesteryear to those that Aldama, with less help from the enforceable by the Hernangómez, has tried to honor with his leadership. Little to reproach the Canary, which must be the pillar on which to rebuild this selection, and with another coach at the controls.
Inmenoconpopo
It would not be correct to say that Spain has fully passed, because the World Cup (9th) and the Olympic Games (10th) have already served as a significant preamble of the collapse lived these days in Cyprus, the mission uphill from the initial defeat against Georgia, unforgivable. Nor that this viacrucis has not served at all, because at least it has allowed an exponential growth of the very young Sergio de Larrea and Mario Saint-Supéryhuge in the comeback without a prize in front of the Greece of An even more huge antetokounmpo: 25 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo. / Associated Press/LaPresse / LAP
There is future, yes, but the feeling of vacuum is, today, immense. Spain needed that Georgia defeated Bosnia so that his victory against Greece was not essential, but the favor of Shengelia and company did not arrive. It was winning or dying in front of a rival with the classification in the hand, but wanting to choose their way at the crossings. It happened that The Spanoulis selection received its hurried opponent with a scandalous rain of triple, inflated Tyler Dorsy.
Rain of triple to start
No one is able to get out of an 8 of 10 in three -in -room shots, no matter how much Aldama will strive to reduce water and minimize 'Anteto'. The threat of the Bucks star served as a magnet and lure for the Spanish defense, to which the blanket did not give to cover himself on the outside. Hence the initial part of 20-31 with which the first quarter was closed, which went to 35-50 at rest, despite the scorer outburst, finally, López-Arostegui.
Spain seemed dead, completely buried by the Greek quality and its own pressure, punished by tip with a Brizuela injury that soon expelled him from the mission. But if something remains in this selection, the level of its interpreters is greater or less You have to bury it a hundred times to guarantee their death. Irreverence, determination and tenacity were never in question.
Spain-Greece in the Eurobasket. / GEORGI LICOVSKI / EFE
Spain never surrenders
They assumed secondary scorers like Pradilla, Yusta, de Larrea and Saint-Supéry, always with Aldama where he was needed. Achicada Greece, exhausted its exterior flow, seized to the leadership of Antetokounmpo, the difference was slowly diminishing, almost without anyone noticing. Until, seven minutes from the end, a Willy basket put Spain ahead (73-72) for the first time from 2-0.
A heroicity that led to a tight outcome, with Antetokounmpo asking for all the balls on one side of the track and Saint-Supéry and Larrea teenagers making devils together in the other. And there (and in the barbarity of failed free throws, 57% of success) was the difference between who could leave his life in the hands of a world star and among whom today, after two decades he can choose between a wide firmament, he no longer has that option.
And so, with honor, looking for the miracle to the limit of exhaustion and common sense, this story is over, The eight medals of Scariol. That of the best Spain that our eyes saw. That of a Spain that does not exist today and, let's not fool ourselves, will surely never return.
