With his presence in the World Cup in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, Marcelinho Huertas (Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1983) continues to add achievements to his overwhelming professional career. Is his fifth World Cup and that opens the doors of a select group made up of 14 players, among which is also Rudy Fernández, the first European who has achieved it. “For me it is a pride and a privilege to represent my country for two full decades and to be here in a team that competes at a high level. It is a feeling of great pleasure ”, he affirms.
Jakarta will be the scene of the reunion of the two friends and ex-teammates at Joventut, although the fight between Spain and Brazil (3:30 p.m., La 2) will not be friendly. It is a key party and orchards will have a transcendental role due to the serious injury of Raulzinho Neto, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right knee in his debut against Iran. At stake is the first place in the group, essential to fight for a place in the quarterfinals.
I just play, I enjoy and I don’t think about it. When it’s time, my body will say it”
“Raul’s injury is a very hard blow, beyond the fact that we have a good team, very complete in all positions. But Spain is always among the favourites, even if they say no,” he stresses. orchardsafter a long career that began in Spain in the youth almost two decades ago, which led him, among other clubs, to lead in Barcelona and Baskoniato share a dressing room with Kobe Bryant en los Lakers and that, since 2019, continues in the Lenovo Tenerife, fireproof at 40 years old, without setting an expiration date, thanks to a careful diet, yoga and meditation.
“People always tell me about my age, but I still have the same head. I don’t put any cap on myself, ”she clarifies. “I just play, I enjoy and I don’t think about it. When it’s time, my body will say it. But for the moment, as long as it is like this, and that I can continue doing what I like and at a very competitive level, I don’t see a reason why I’m not going to continue ”, she affirms.
Praise for the selection
Marcelinho He speaks with great respect of the national team, a team from which he assures that he is used to this type of appointment and to winning. “He is one of the favourites, even if they say he is not,” says the guard from Rio de Janeiro. “His collective game from him 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 know exactly what he wants.
Spain’s collective game is one of the best in the World Cup, they do it by heart”
The base of the Lenovo TenerifeHowever, he is convinced that they have a block with many resources inside and outside the zone and he is convinced that they have options against Spain. “We have physicality, an outside shot, players who are very vertical and powerful on the rebound…So we will try to do our best basketball and beat them,” says Huertas, who has also entered the Top 3 in the World Cup as an assistant, only behind Ricky Rubio and Pablo Prigionitwo players with whom he has coincided in his career.
“It is very special because they are two references, two friends, colleagues and ex-colleagues and the truth is that our careers have had a lot of history together and it is a luxury to be able to be part of this select group and be up there with so many people from so many. For me it is a great luxury”, he values and regrets the absence of Ricky Rubio in the tournament, after leaving the concentration of the national team due to his mental health problems. “It is a pity. For me he is a reference and a friend. I have sent him a message of great encouragement, great strength and I also do not want to bother at this moment because I think he is very private ”.
2023-08-27 12:20:16
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