Special shirts and a video with the voice of Fabricio Oberto: this was the tribute of the basketball team to Maradona

It was only 48 hours after the death of Diego Maradona. In the midst of a worldwide commotion, which generated a media impact rarely seen, from different parts of the planet they paid tribute to one of the greatest sports figures in history. In this scenario, there was a Argentine team that was the first to compete after the physical disappearance of the historic number 10 of the national soccer team.

In the framework of the match against Chile at the Obras stadium, valid for the qualification to the AmeriCup to be played in 2022, the team led by Gabriel Picatto honored Maradona. When going out to the parquet of the court located in the neighborhood of Núñez, The 12 players of the Argentine squad appeared dressed in a shirt with the number 10 and the Maradona surname on their backs. Once they gathered in the center of the court, everyone raised their arms to the sky and raised the 10 fingers of their hands marking the iconic number that accompanied Fluff during his unforgettable career.

But in addition to that demonstration, the Argentine Basketball Confederation made an exciting video to remember Diego. “You were our flag in the world. A genuine fan of basketball and our beloved National Team. You went to cheer us on, you were in our courts and locker rooms and you admired our players, when you were number one but without making anyone feel what you really were. Because that was you, one of us, with your successes and your mistakes and your virtues, but above all with an overflowing passion for your country. With an infectious love for the game, with a human warmth, a charisma and a humility that always captivated us to emotion. Thanks Diego, for always being with us in a genuine way. Simply thanks. For all eternity ”, was the message that carried the unmistakable voice of Fabricio Oberto, the Olympic champion in Athens 2004 and the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs of Ginobili.

Beyond the emotional words of the former pivot from Las Varillas, one of the new members of the Argentine team tried to summarize the sentiment of a young group. “I am 23 years old and I did not know so much about Diego, what he means for the country, for the Argentine people. I was watching videos all these days and what people were saying. Like, for example, those who said they had nothing to eat but were happy for what he was doing on a court. I understood more about the power of sport and what it can achieve. Diego transferred everything and was decisive in the social context “, said Fernando Zubriggen, player of Works.

As happened with great athletes in the world, one of those who was most affected by the physical disappearance of Maradona was Manu himself. A few hours after the news of Diego’s death was released, one of the best Argentine athletes in history wrote: “Very sad! Thanks Diego for such beautiful moments! Huge hug for all his family and for a people that loved him deeply “.

The next day, while thousands of people were saying goodbye to him at the Casa Rosada, Ginobili used his Twitter account again to comment on what he was following on television from the United States. “I can’t avoid the lump in my throat and even a few tears when I read and see things about Diego. He was very generous with me the times I saw him “.

The Argentine basketball team was the first to go out to play after saying goodbye to Maradona. This Saturday, from Australia, Los Pumas will go out to face the All Blacks to reaffirm that the spirit of the greatest light blue and white athlete will be together with the representatives of the national flag.

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