By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Lille, France – Another long summer with Spain for Sergio Llull. From the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia to the 2024 Olympic Games and an exit at the end of the preliminary stage.
“The team competed again, against a top-tier team, It is a shame because we fell short,” he described the effort against Canada on Friday, “The group was tough. I think the team competed. We should be proud even though we are disappointed now, obviously. That is the good part. The team competed. That is our DNA, our character.”
Wrapping up pool play with one win in three games, Spain was tied with Australia and Greece but was on the wrong end of the tiebreaker. A win against Canada would clinch the top seed in Group A, besides a berth in the knockout stage of the tournament, but the loss forced the team coached by Sergio Scariolo to fourth place and elimination from the Quarterfinals.
“Obviously, we are disappointed,” repeated Llull, “We were aware of the difficulty of the group, but each one of us must consider what we did wrong and what we can do better to improve individually and as a team.”
“In this group, every point counted, every little detail,” he added, “Greece played a good game earlier. In the end, one win was not enough for us.”
Over three appearances in Lille, the 36-year-old guard tallied 14.3 points per contest, including 11/30 from beyond the arc.
Photo Credit: FIBA