Pablo Prigionicoach of the Argentine basketball team who became champion of the AmeriCup against Brazil, referred to the sense of belonging and rejected the possibility of nationalizing foreign players.
“As long as I’m in the National Team, there will be no nationalized. Not even a staff member from another country. I prefer to lose with our people than try to win with a person who is not Argentine”, assured Prigioni in dialogue with Basketball Plus.
I also read: The Argentine basketball team defeated Brazil and became champion of the AmeriCup
“For me the National Team is the purest thing there is since we have our club competitions to compete with people from all over the world and I think it’s fantastic. I’m not against those who do it, but against the rule. I don’t think Lorenzo Brown feels the Spanish shirt like Sergio Llull or Rudy Fernández. That’s where the discussion ends, ”said the 45-year-old coach when speaking about the nationalized.
Brown, born in Georgia, United States, was a key piece of the Spanish team who won the Eurobasket 88-76 in Berlin on Sunday in the final against France.
The also assistant coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA commented that, in his opinion, “it doesn’t make sense” and that, if you don’t win with the nationals, it’s about “work harder in training”.
Prigioni, on his recent conquest of the Americup with the Argentine National Team
On the other hand, Prigioni explained how his arrival to be the coach of the Argentine National Team took place: “I received strong support from the Confederation, from Gonzalo (García), from Leo (Gutiérrez), when I spoke with them, from my family, of the team players and the Timberwolves, who it was key that they authorized me”.
“It was really a strong push that they gave me, telling me that for the franchise it was a pride that I could represent the institution in international competitions being the coach of my country. That was decisive”, he highlighted.
Finally, Prigioni was asked what style he wants to give to the national team’s basketball and the coach pointed out: “We are just a week away from Brazil and a lot of things here in Minneapolis, but on the subject of playing a little, that is what we did in Brazil, but with more time to work and more focused on what may be some European teams that we have to face. In general terms, what was seen in Recife, but in the best possible version”.
