By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
ULEB President Tomas Van den Spiegel talked about the importance of national teams and their coexistence with the clubs at the FIBA World Basketball Summit:
“We believe in an integrated calendar with room for local leagues to develop commercially and from a sporting perspective. At the same time, we see space for a continental (club) competition and maybe more than one. And of course, for national teams because they remain the driver of the popularity of our sport in many markets.”
He highlighted the national team importance and that ULEB is in favor of and understands the influence they have on basketball’s popularity: “We really are in favor of the national teams because they can be drivers of the game’s popularity globally. The leagues are convinced of that. They understand that releasing players to the national team is very important and helps them develop commercially and to be successful in the coming years.”
Of course, as a former player with both club and national team experience, Spiegel knows very well the players’ position in the whole story and they’re undeniable wish to play for their country: “Every player wants to be at the World Cup. Everyone wants to play for the national team, to defend their colors.”