By Antonis Stroggylakis / astroggylakis@eurohoops.net
Jakarta, Indonesia – Dairis and Davis Bertans, Latvia’s power duo of brothers, have shared the floor several times with their national team since the 2011 EuroBasket when they played together with their country’s jersey for the first time.
This summer they joined forces once again for their beloved Latvia. Only, this occasion is unlike the rest. It’s a different kind of special since it marks the first-ever participation of their national team in a World Championship.
“It’s amazing,” Dairis Bertans told Eurohoops right after he scored 20 points on 6-7 threes to lead Latvia past Lebanon in the team’s World Cup opener. “Since we were little kids growing up in a small town in Latvia I don’t think any of us could’ve imagined something like this.”
“It’s great to be here with him. Make Latvia proud, make our family proud,” Dairis added.
A couple of minutes before, his older brother praised him for his performance. With a bit of a jokester’s attitude.
“Unbelievable. Especially for his age? It’s great. I love it,” Davis commented. Dairis, who will become 34 on September 9, is just three years older than him mind you.
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“He actually had a chance to beat my national team record for 3-pointers,” the Oklahoma City Thunder forward added. He had set Latvia’s all-time record for most threes in a single game by hitting seven in a 97 – 92 win over Great Britain in the 2017 EuroBasket. “But he didn’t play many minutes. Hopefully in the next game.”
“Actually I wasn’t counting,” Dairis responded. “But I know that for the last 15 minutes, I wasn’t playing. If I would’ve, I would’ve broken it.” Most likely yes, given that he was in “no-miss” mode, sending only one of his seven attempts beyond the arc outside the basket.
The two Bertans brothers aren’t only happy to play with each other because, well… they are family, but also because that connection is reflected in a special bond they share on the court.
It’s a tandem that’s been in the making and nourished for years that they spent together in the offseason, regardless if they have national team duties or not.
“It’s always great to play with him,” Davis said. “We can help each other on the court defensively. We know each other so well. Practice together basically every summer for… I don’t know how many years. Every summer together on the national team. We know each other, we can play off each other great.”