Walter Szczerbiak He is one of the greatest legends to have ever played in European basketball. Wally Szczerbiak He had a more than solid career in the NBA, standing out especially in Kevin Gernett’s Minnesota Timberwolves. Walter y Wallyfather and son, presented this Thursday an unmissable book that chronicles much of the careers of both and describes the personality of two figures, mainly that of Walter, necessary to understand the progression of our basketball throughout history.
In a room of WiZink Center in Madrid that oozed basketball from all four sides, Walter, Wally y Carmelo Cabrera, author of the book’s epilogue and great friend of the protagonists, managed to bring together a good part of Madrid’s history. Some of Walter’s players and teammates were there, such as Clifford Luyk, John Anthony Corbalan, Christopher Rodriguez, Lolo Sainz, Vincent Ramosother younger ones like John Lopez Iturriaga and even rivals like Luis Miguel Santillana.
“I feel very proud to have been a pioneer in Spain and to have given a little push“Walter said when asked about the differences between European basketball and the NBA.”Jordi Villacampa told me that he had taken me as an example. I believe that there was an evolution in Spanish basketball with the players who arrived and then each generation has taken the best of the previous one and added something of its own. Basketball has grown a lot in Spain and I am very proud of it“.
On this same question, his son Wally said: “The United States has a lot of work to do in international competitions because the world has evolved a lot. “The level has become much more equal and as has been demonstrated, you no longer win with names alone.”
The book, written by Juan Escudero and with the prologue of Julius Ervingcollects the experiences of both characters although it focuses above all on Walter who remembered some anecdote: “When I arrived here in Spain, the team was making history in the 1973 Eurobasket. My first game in the Spanish league was against Barcelona. I was lucky enough to score 47 points and we won by 60 points. And everyone told me that the League was over, and I didn’t understand anything because in America the championships were not won in the first game. But on that first day Joventut had also lost and we won that league without losing a single game.”
Chance, or the good sense of the organizers, has wanted the presentation of the book to be almost the same day on which they are celebrated (this September 15) Just 50 years since Walter’s arrival in Madrid. He spent seven seasons in the white team, another two in Italy and then one more at Cafisa Canarias. After leaving basketball, Walter remembers: “I remained linked to basketball thanks to the newspaper Marca which gave me the opportunity to write in its pages about the NBA. Then came the offer to be ACB ambassador in the US.”
2023-09-14 20:31:44
#feel #proud #pioneer #Spain
