By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Spain lost again a knock out game at home and didn’t fulfill the expectations of winning on more medal. But this was not the first time. Eurohoops reviews and ranks the defeats of the golden generation since 2001!
The golden generation of the Spanish basketball began its route in 2001, when Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, Felipe Reyes started to shine with the national team. JCN was member of the team also in the 2000 Olympics, but the core of the best team in Spanish history started to become a unit when Pau and Felipe jumped in one year later. Jorge Garbajosa and Raul Lopez (who were heroes for many years therefore) were also in Sydney, Jose Calderon joined in at 2002 and every year the team was getting stronger and stronger.
This team played always, after 2000, in the quarterfinals of every major tournament, won nine medals since 2001 but only three golds. Only? Of course the success of this gang is huge –and maybe none of the next generations will even come close to it- but Spain lost a lot of big chances to win more. Spain lost twice the chance to celebrate a title at home and Eurohoops will try to rank the depression of Spanish failures.
1. Spain-Russia 59-60
Eurobasket 2007 Final, Madrid
Here is the video with the highlights of the game
Here is the boxscore of the game
Back in 2007 Spain hosted the Eurobasket and of course the team was the ultimate favorite to win the title. All of its players were in their primes; the opponents were weaker and all the circumstances were perfect for Spain to celebrate the first Eurobasket title in its history. Naah!!! Russia was considered as “Kirilenko’s team” but at the end JR Holden scored a buzzer beater in the final and shocked Madrid!
2. Spain-France 52-65
World Cup 2014 quarterfinal, Madrid
Here is the video with the highlights of the game
Here is the boxscore of the game
In the press conference of the quarterfinal Jose Orenga talked more about the Olympics in Rio than France. Everybody considered the game against “Les Blues” without Parker, De Colo and the four big guys as a practice and preparation game for the upcoming final vs USA. Naah! Heurtel and Diaw were great, Spain didn’t play at all and the dream of beating USA never happened because they never met.
3. Spain-Serbia 89-92
World Cup 2010 quarterfinal, Istanbul
Here is the video with the highlights of the game
Here is the boxscore of the game
The previous summer Spain finally got its first Eurobasket (in Poland) and everyone could believe that USA could face some problems by the 2006 World Champions. Naah!!! Navarro was great but three seconds before the end Teodosic scored a three from nine meters distance in front of Garbajosa and led his team to the semifinals!
4. Spain-France 72-75
Eurobasket 2013 semifinal, Ljubljana
Here is the video with the highlights of the game
Here is the boxscore of the game
None team after Yugoslavia back in ‘70s had won three Eurobasket titles in a row. Spain tried to do that without its star, Pau Gasol and reached the semifinal again as the favorite. Naah! France wanted the win as a revenge for the painfull defeat in the 2011 final and made it having a sizzling Tony Parker! Sergio Rodriguez and Mark Gasol missed the last shots and Spain had to return home with the bronze medal.
5. Spain-Germany 73-74
Eurobasket 2005 semifinal, Belgrade
Here is the video with the highlights of the game
Here is the boxscore of the game
In 2005 the previous generation was in good shape and the “golden generation” (which wasn’t yet golden in men’s competitions) had already a lot of experiences though Pau Gasol wasn’t there due to injury. Spain lost the semifinal by Germany. Not true. By Dirk Nowitzki. Only. He scored 27 points, among them also the buzzer beater winning shot with three seconds to go.
6. Spain-USA 107-118
Olympic Games 2008 Final, Beijing
Here is the video with the highlights of the game
Here is the boxscore of the game
It’s maybe one of the best basketball games ever. USA wanted to win their first big international title after 2000 and erase three failures in row! All the NBA stars were there but Spain played excellent; fought until the end but couldn’t avoid the inevitable.
7. Spain-Lithuania 93-84
Eurobasket 2003 Final, Stockholm
Here is the video with the highlights of the game
Here is the boxscore of the game
This was the first final for this team which already had the trio of Pau, Navarro and Garbajosa as leaders, though all of them were younger than 25. Pau Gasol was the leading scorer of the tournament and played excellent in the final but Lithuania was amazing. They won easily the gold medal but Spaniards were also happy with second place.
8. Spain-USA 100-107
Olympic Games 2012 Final, London
Here is the video with the highlights of the game
Here is the boxscore of the game
Spaniards knew that they should play as good as in Beijing’s final to have some chances against USA. But the Americans didn’t let Gasol’s friends to hope. Durant, James and Bryant were great and even though Spain was close until the 36th minute, USA never lost the control of the game.
9. Spain-Germany 62-70
World Cup 2002 quarterfinal, Indianapolis
Here is the boxscore of the game
Spain had the chance to beat Germany and qualify in the semifinals for the first time after 1982. But they played bad in the first knock out game and Dirk Nowitzki, who was too good in that tournament (he was the leading scorer), pushed Germany to the win thanks to his 20 points and 8 rebounds.
10. Spain-USA 94-102
Olympic Games 2004 quarterfinals, Athens
Here is the boxscore of the game
Spain finished on top of its group with five wins but in the quarterfinals faced USA due to the bad results of the Americans (two defeats by Lithuania and Puerto Rico). The quality of Team USA’s performance in the tournament was just decent, but Marbury was in great shape and led his team to the win. After 2014’s elimination Pau Gasol remembered 2004 due to the good games in the group phase and the failure afterwards.
11. Spain-Yugoslavia 65-78
Eurobasket 2001 semifinal, Istanbul
Here is the boxscore of the game
Yugoslavia was the big favorite, Turkey had the fans’ push and Spain was happy just with being qualified in the semifinals. In the game against Yugoslavia, Spain was alive until the end of the third quarter but Stojakovic decided to close the game and he just did that. Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro were still kids (21 years old) but the big guy was already the leading scorer of Spain and sixth in the tournament.