“My psychologist made me remember why I fell in love with basketball”

What are the moods in the dressing room after conceding four consecutive defeats?

Luckily, day-to-day life is pretty light. We try to put past games behind us and think about the future. Obviously, we have a much greater sense of intensity and concentration due to the circumstances, but we also cannot fill ourselves with pressure to find the first victory. We will get it from training, working hard and learning from the mistakes we are making. Spirits are good. We are already looking forward to the next game.

Worried about the possibility of being able to aspire only to permanence?

I think when we come together as a team and can put all the pieces in place we will forget about this bad start. Once we bag the first victory – which is very important for the team, the club, the fans and the city – everything will change a lot. I hope that we will not only fight for permanence, but that we will be well positioned.

The emotional factor is very important. You know it well.

It is essential not to lower your arms. We have to fight it out among ourselves and maybe those of us with more experience should help the younger ones to understand that we haven’t lost anything yet. There are four games at the beginning of the season. It is clear that they have not left us with good feelings, but there is a long way to go. We cannot allow this to take away our energy or ambition to win.

There was a time when he walked away from basketball because it was no longer fulfilling. Is it true that he even came to hate himself?

Yes. I had several difficult moments of not wanting to know anything about basketball. They were all related to the injuries I’ve suffered and various adverse situations, by moving, few minutes, playing, slowing down, coming back, putting pressure on myself to want to be at a higher level… I exploded. Fortunately, at present the situation is completely opposite: I am super happy and super grateful to Girona for the opportunity in their return to the ACB. It’s all in the past, but it’s a reality that’s part of me.

Even now, it is important to break the taboos of mental health and go to the psychologist. What role did César Bernhardt play?

César is my psychologist. It was fundamental. He made me see basketball from another perspective. I had to understand that it was my job and my lifestyle. I’ve gone back to my roots, remembering why I fell in love with basketball and enjoying the day to day again. Mental health affects matches more than we think. If one does not have his head in place and is not focused on what he wants, he will not be able to get his maximum performance even if he tries hard in training. It’s important for everyone, even if they haven’t had injury problems like me. With the situation we are experiencing in the team, for example, we would do very well with individual psychological help for each of us to turn the page and continue competing.

Do you continue to talk to Cesar or go to another psychologist?

Yes. Since I started with him, I’ve continued to do different jobs. It has helped me gain physical confidence and try to forget everything I’ve been through. I think I’m putting it into practice in games as I get more minutes. I let myself go more, without thinking about game situations that have ended with an injury. I let it all flow.

Injuries continue to haunt him. Does it take a lot to get over the fear of not getting hurt again?

At the beginning of the season, when I arrived, I didn’t have as much as I’ve had at other times, but there was a certain fear of relapse. Today I feel much more confident and physically prepared. Reality must be accepted. We are not office workers or behind a screen all day. We play with our bodies and the reality is that injuries can happen at any time. This doesn’t mean that we don’t comply or that we don’t work in the right way, on the contrary, because I think I’m one of the players who takes care of himself the most. It can happen again. Surely, there is a little more risk because of my history. I must be clear that I am giving my hundred percent so that this does not happen.

How did he take it in the summer when he was forced to leave the national team and the Copa América?

It was very hard. Maybe there are a few situations in between that made it worse than it should have been… One of the games was played in my city (Mar del Plata) with my family and friends, and I was very frustrated to lose – give it to me I had also never missed a tournament with the national team (Argentina), it hurt me a lot. Based on maturity and experience, I understood that the main thing was to be well for this season. After all, you go to the national team for the love of the shirt… I had to be smart and start focusing on the new season with Girona in the ACB, which is really important for me.

Do you believe in resilience?

Yes a lot. I have a company called that. It is a set of investment funds with a gastronomic project.

I was going to tell him: apart from being a basketball player, he is also an entrepreneur with the chain of empanadas Cachito Mío in the Basque Country… How about in Girona?

We are working to keep growing. We’ve done a lot in two short years and the plan is to keep doing it. Hopefully in Girona, we want to be in all of Spain.

Is Girona a good showcase for you? He has been missing games for months due to injuries…

It’s a new beginning. I’m feeling better as the minutes go by. I go from less to more. The coaching staff is also helping me a lot. Aíto has understood my situation very well, despite the fact that he demands of me, and I do the same with myself, to perform better. I’m making progress. It is also appreciated to play once a week to take care of the body and respect the times of rest, physical preparation, etc. Girona is the ideal place for me this season.

Does it feel good on the court?

Yes very good. The truth is that last Sunday was the first time I felt without any kind of physical problem, or muscle strain, and I was able to take advantage of it in the match. Playing for a few minutes was important for me to get up to speed. I know there’s a long way to go, but I’m feeling better every day.

When will we see the best version of Garino?

My goal is as soon as possible. It will be seen week by week and game by game depending on how I feel. I don’t have an exact date set, but I intend to go day by day.

Do the tattoos you wear have any specific meaning?

Yes, all of them. I have eight. They are for my grandparents, family, childhood friends… Also the resilience with the change of skins that snakes do.

Do you think the team is missing a leader, perhaps?

A leader? I think we have. There are quite a few. Obviously, Marc is one of them. There’s also Quino, with a lot of experience… It’s a matter of adapting each of us to his role and understanding a little better the idea that Aíto is asking of us. We have to find more fluidity in the offensive part because in defense I think we are doing a good job, there is a lot of energy and movement. We have to increase our concentration in attack, where we have had many mistakes in the basket due to our own dunks that have not been forced by the opponent.

Do the more veterans have to give a push to move the situation forward?

For sure. We have to make the pieces fit in the match. We all have to step forward, feel comfortable and concentrate on the track. There have been pre-season games, but a lot of us have arrived late and we have to adapt. Pierre is just starting to train, Jaume (Sorolla) is injured… We are missing a couple of pieces. But we have to take it easy. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to fix it as soon as possible.

What does Aíto say to them? Last Sunday to complain that they hadn’t put the training into practice…

We lack the experience that the minutes of the matches give. We spent the whole week working on various situations that occurred differently during the game and we were unable to apply them. Aíto’s frustration is logical. We have to understand better what we need to do in the matches with what we work with during the week.

In the team there is another Argentine, Maxi Fjellerup. Do they have a good relationship?

super good I was immediately happy to know that I would have a compatriot because we have been playing together in the national team for a long time. We have known each other for years and have played many tournaments together. It gives me great peace to know that I have a partner with whom I get along from the beginning. We also share culture, mate, roasts… I love it.

Did you know that in the previous stage of Girona in the ACB there were also Argentines like Federico Kammerichs and Lucas Victoriano?

Yes, I knew they had been there. I actually talked to Lucas before I came. All the people who have spoken to me about Girona have told me wonderful things about the city, the fans and the club.

How was the first impression?

fantastic The truth is that you could see in the first match against Real Madrid the energy that the people have. It vibrates a lot on the track. The desire to give the fans their first victory is huge.

As a good Argentine, do you also like football? I don’t know if you know Taty Castellanos from Girona…

(River). I’m a little weird in that regard. I’m not a football fan at all. And no, I don’t know Taty. Let’s see if they introduce us.

How has ACB changed since playing Baskonia in 2017?

I don’t think much has changed. There is a lot of level. For me the ACB is the second best league after the NBA and has remained so over the years. They always sell quality players with a great club history and time in the NBA. The level is not surprising. It is a league in which on any date you can win against Madrid or Barça and, at the same time, lose against the bottom of the table. You have to give one hundred percent every day because there is a lot of intensity.

Do you miss the time in the NBA (Orlando) and the Euroleague?

I’m in another moment. I’m not too worried about what I’ve been in the past, I’ve tried to put it behind me, because I’m trying to become the best new version of me. Not in what could have been or what had happened to me or had I not been injured… I am who I am with everything that has happened to me. To this day I enjoy playing here and aim to reach the highest level.