At forty years and three months, Marcelinho Huertas is the second “oldest” player to play in a world basketball championship, only behind Eduardo Mingas, an Angolan who participated in the 2019 Mundobasket at the age of forty and seven months. Fifth presence of the most emblematic player of a Brazilian team that faces Scariolo’s Spain today (3:30 p.m., La 2), in the most difficult match for the current champion in this first phase.
Marcelinho He is a legend of the basket, something strange in a country where soccer absorbs everything. It is not his case. At the age of six, he was already playing at the Atletico Paulistano basketball school, a passion inherited from his older brother. He stole his balls that he later took to the street to play with his friends. At home he did it in a tiny basket that he had in his room. Surely many of you also enjoyed it in her childhood.
Master Aito
At the age of 21, the point guard made the leap to Europe to join Aíto García Reneses’ Joventut, a genius on our benches. He spent three seasons with him, won one Eurocup and he made a qualitative leap in concepts that he had not assimilated, such as the importance of team play. It wasn’t all scoring.
Then he played one year in Bilbao and two in the Baskonia, with whom he won his first of the three ACB leagues that he has in his record (2010). He won the other two with Barcelona (2012 and 2014), in addition to lifting a Cup (2013) and a Super Cup (2011).
In 2015, Huertas took the path of the NBA, to play for the Lakers for two years. The first of them would be the last of Kobe as a professional. From there he came with a suitcase full of experiences and advice from the myth of the Los Angeles franchise, but with few minutes and prominence, so he decided to return to Spain, to play again for Baskonia. A trip back to Vitoria with new habits.
Huertas, father of three children, decided in 2017 to switch to veganism. He did it together with his wife and with the help of a meticulous plan designed by a famous Brazilian nutritionist. It was not a matter of completely and suddenly changing the diet. He needed his adaptation process and, to this day, he not only continues to bet on this option but also plans to keep it when he stops being a professional and goes to the bench, which is what makes him tick the most.
But until then, he squeezes his last baskets as if they were his first. Yoga and meditation, and a nearly blank injury sheet, also keep his mind clear while the Lenovo Tenerife and his pick enjoy it. With the significant loss of Neto for the rest of the world, it is up to him to assume the leadership of his country: «Raulzinho’s injury is a very hard blow, beyond the fact that we have a good team, very complete in all positions. Spain is always among the favorites, even if they say no.
Praise for our team, knowing after so many years in the ACB league that those of scario They are always a very difficult rival: «Their collective game is the best we are going to see in the World Cup. It is a team that knows how to play more or less by heart, that has a coach who has been there for many years. And his players are used to playing for him and they know exactly what he wants ».
2023-08-28 02:41:12
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