By Antonis Stroggylakis / astroggylakis@eurohoops.net
Jakarta, Indonesia – Few players outside Spain can provide a better insight on why that national team has been such a winning material consistently over the years than Brazil captain Marcelino Huertas.
Huertas has spent 15 out of his 22-year career so far in the ACB League and therefore has been playing against mostly Spanish guys for a great part of his life. He has faced many prominent members of “La Roja” while being a teammate of some, and can attest to what makes them so unbeatable, even when their rosters don’t look so powerful.
“Well they are used to playing in situations like this,” Huertas said when asked by Eurohoops after Brazil’s evening practice ahead of the game against Spain Monday (28/9). “It’s a very experienced team even though they bring different generations the guys somehow just learn how to play a collective basketball. They learn quick and they are able to adapt to Sergio Scariolo’s system so well.”
Spain is the reigning World Cup and EuroBasket champion. Especially during the latter, very few, if anyone, counted them among the favorites when the tournament began since they had possibly their least strong roster in decades.
“They proved it once again last year in the EuroBasket,” Huertas said. “It’s one of those things, to always know how to play within the system. They know what the tournaments are about and they always think on the long run. They don’t panic if they lose a game in the competition, they just keep on moving forward. And they are able. They are vey resilient and that’s what I think makes them special.
When Huertas debuted in the 2023 World Cup being 40 years and 92 days old in the win of his team against Iran, he became the second-oldest player in the history of the competition after Eduado Mingas.
This is Huertas’ fifth World Championship and he’s coming off his 22nd season of his professional career, now with Lenovo Tenerife since 2019.
He has no plans whatsoever to retire anytime soon.
So what keeps Huertas going at this age when most of his peers have already hung their shoes?
“The drive of still being able to compete at the highest level,” Huertas, a three-time ACB champion, explained. “For me, basketball has always been my dream ever since I was a kid and I still have the same ambition.”
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It’s not just about the challenge of jumping on the court at a high level. While practices may seem like a chore between games for many players, the 40-year-old Huertas anticipates them with joy each day.
“Every time I’m going to practice, I’m happy, Huertas said. “I keep looking forward to going to practices. And keep competing in both the practices I go to every day and in the games of course. I never think about this as something I regret.”
“Every day when I wake up I’m thinking about basketball. It’s something that keeps me moving.”
When Huertas decides to retire, it won’t be because there’s a number next to his age in his ID card but because he’ll simply be unable to play any longer.
“I don’t’ think too much about the age,” Huertas said. “Just keep moving according to how my body reacts. So far it’s been great and I just keep going.”
Does Huertas think of doing it like Italy captain Gigi Datome this summer? Maybe have his own Last Dance next year with the Olympic Games before calling it quits.
“That will be it for the national team at least,” Huertas mentioned. “It will be the end of the international career. Hopefully we’ll be able to qualify at the Olympics next summer.
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