Golden lessons

The Spanish basketball team is a marvelous example of achievement, of not being conformist.

A year ago around this time I felt it had been an untypical summer (although for very different reasons than at present). I can’t deny how frustrated I was at not being able to be with my teammates on the Spanish squad because of the operation on my left foot at the end of the season. However, I could not have been more proud of the way the summer ended and for the magnificent achievement of our basketball team. It was a strange sensation: not to have been on the court; to feel you’re part of the team without even having been in the locker room with them; without those players, trainers and the rest of the staff who, summer after summer, have become my family.

The Spanish federation had done it again. It excited us, made us believe that anything was possible. I remember the start of the summer of 2019, when a lot of people doubted the chances for this team. Among the favorites to win the world championship were the United States, Greece, Serbia and Australia, but Spain wasn’t anyone’s favorite –nor was Argentina.

Any kind of change brings uncertainty, and once again the team had to demonstrate its quality in spite of the absences and the inevitable changes it was undergoing. And sure enough, this basketball team was able to deal with all the outside pressures and, exceeding expectations, become the World Champion. (I write it in capital letters because of the pride it has awakened in me.) But what were the keys to this success? What are some of the values and lessons this team has demonstrated?

Dreaming big

Everything begins with a dream. They dreamed they were going to be world champions. But like any ambitious dream or challenge, they knew that they could only achieve it through hard work, by doing things right from the first day to the last. And once the tournament got under way, their motto was “one more step” and “one more game,” concentrating on the next rival so as to be able to move closer to that dream. They dreamed big, mapping day by day the road they had to follow, without putting limits on their ambition. And precisely because of that, they were able to achieve it.

Sometimes we think that being too ambitious can be frustrating because of possible failure. This kind of thinking leads us to set goals that are small, comfortable and accessible but without being a real challenge that will force us to grow and be better. The Spanish basketball team is a wonderful example of achievement, of non-conformity. Some people might argue that we didn’t have the most talented team in the competition, but we showed that this isn’t what’s most important: what nobody can dispute is that we showed we had the best team.

Go from less to more

Nobody doubts the quality and talent of the players on this basketball team. But as I just said, world championships are not won on talent alone. What distinguishes this human group are its perseverance, commitment, sacrifice and determination –values that shone brightly during the whole competition.

In the first phase, the team was still reaching its stride against rivals (Tunisia, Puerto Rico and Iran) that it had to defeat so as to move forward as the first in its group. And that’s what it did. But, in a variation, there now came doubts in the media about the next phase, and thus for the rest of the competition. Historically, the Spanish team has always had troubles at the start of tournaments, and this world competition was no exception. But faced with this situation, the players were able to maintain their concentration, demonstrate their maturity and concentrate on giving their best to beat the next rivals. And that’s what happened against Italy and Serbia: our team demonstrated a very high level of play, in both defense –which I think was the key to the championship– and attack. These two important victories moved us close to qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

When we’re in a tense situation, which can make us doubt our chances, the easiest thing to do is give in to the noise and lose our confidence. Looking at this team, and the wonderful lessons it has given us, we understand that it’s up to us to decide how we react to the situations facing us, and how that attitude influences the final result. Shutting off outside noise –and acting with confidence, preparation and commitment– guarantees a high percentage of success.

Humble leadership

Before the tournament began, lots of people said the team didn’t have some clear points of reference and that this endangered its chances. Of course there was nothing further from reality: Marc and Ricky moved naturally into their roles as leaders to take this team as high as it could go. But I also want to mention some other players whose leadership might not have been recognized. First was the team’s captain, Rudy. His defensive work throughout the competition –and his resolve at key moments– was a determining factor. But in my opinion –and surely also for the team– it was his capacity to rise above difficult personal situations that was so inspiring. And the great Sergi Llull, following a lot of work to recover from a torn ligament in his knee, again delighted us with his energy and determination: he not only  made some impossible shots –his patented mandarinas, or three-point shots– but also bringing a vital solidarity to the team.

But leadership doesn’t flow from just the big players. The architect of this success has a name: Sergio Scariolo. When things got complicated, the coach demonstrated great calm and intelligence to keep the team from losing its nerve and to make the right decisions. He was able to transmit security and safety to the group by his coaching; he passed on to the players that winning spirit necessary to reach the final game and he got the most out of each one of them through very effective substitutions. In a word, Scariolo demonstrated a knowledge of his players and an exceptional capacity to bring the team to its highest level of play.

Teamwork

But the teams’ gold medal was not just the result of the work of some players and the head coach. The victory came from the effort of all its members. Each one made his contribution to a collective success. As Sergio Llull said after winning the world championship, “part of this medal belongs to the players who got Spain past the early qualifying rounds,” and thanked everybody who isn’t seen on television but who works daily to make the team great: the physiotherapists,  trainers, doctors, delegates, equipment men and the whole technical division. I would add to that the labors of the basketball federation, led by president Jorge Garbajosa, who deserves great recognition for his important work so that the team could achieve what it has achieved. This is the true significance of team spirit: recognizing that each of the components of an organization is fundamental for the success or failure of a project.

When there’s a common aim and a shared spirit, great things are achieved –and that’s also when a team becomes a family.

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Article published in Spanish at Expansión.