Rio will be the “last dance” of the stars

By Rigas Dardalis/ dardalis@eurohoops.net

The subject of coach’s Juan Antonio Orenga’s press conference was the quarterfinal game against France, but what he revealed is that this tournament will not be the end of the road for the Spanish “Golden boys” generation. As also French super star Tony Parker himself announced after France getting the final phase of Eurobasket 2015, Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro and Jose Manuel Calderon “may continue to play until the 2016 Olympics”. Add to the mix the more than possible return of Dirk Novitzki to the international stage and suddenly Eurobasket 2015 is as big as it gets.

As Orenga said: “The final is very far away. First we have France its our dream to play in the final here in Spain, but this is not the last dance. Felipe Reyes is the oldest. Pau Gasol has signed for three years with Bulls, Calderon the same with New York. If they play three more years in the NBA, why we are trying to decide that they will not play again with Spain? They love to be here, they are a family. We have the Olympic games in two years and I am sure they will want to be there. So it’s not the last big competition for them”.

Asked if the quarterfinal game against France will be a chance for revenge compared to last season’s Eurobasket semifinal, Orenga replied: “It’s not a revenge, it’s a new game, very important for both teams. You try to look at the past only to improve. It’s a new game and a good moment to play the best you can and win. You have to look at the future always. France is a different team without Parker, they are playing more as a group. Like us last year, we didn’t have Ibaka, Gasol, Navaro and Felipe”.
Meanwhile Marc Gasol became a father and had to travel to Barcelona to be near his wife, leaving the Spanish national team at Madrid. As Orenga said: “It’s a normal case, we talk like a family and we try to find solutions for possible problems. Marc had to go for a personal situation and  he will arrive as soon as he can, he will play tomorrow and all of us are happy about it”.
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