ABefore the battle of Valencia, the fearsome (and hopeful) Pre-Olympic, basketball was honored in the La Zarzuela Racecourse, temple of turf in Spain, a unique place, where horse racing takes on another dimension. The V Galaorganized by the Spanish Basketball Federation y BRANDfulfilled all its objectives: it crowned the best of the year by combining the different sensitivities that live between the two baskets, it served to conjure The family for the challenge of achieving Paris 2024, with next week’s life and death matches just around the corner and ended up becoming a fantastic evening to promote basketball, values, health, leadership and ambition. Have a good time, what would I say? Sergio Rodriguezone of the winners.
“This is a space for basketball lovers in which we can share and be happy to accompany the winners, to celebrate their experiences. We have the opportunity to join forces so that basketball continues to grow.” This is how his speech began Elisa Aguilar.
Was her first Gala as president on a night, safe from storms in the capital, of serenity and joy, in an emblematic place, where glory is distributed at a gallop and the recognition of the greats of the basket did not need a whip or a ‘photo finish’. It comes naturally because basketball soon recognizes its heroes, venerates them, makes them its own and feels them in its own skin.
T-shirt collection
An unrepeatable collection of t-shirts from the Spanish basketball Olympians of all eras (Romay, Laia Palau, Marc, Rudy, Pau, Blanca Ares, Amaya, Pau, among others), flanked the attendees to remember where we came from, where we are going. They were inspiring for everyone, also for the senior men’s and women’s teams, led by Sergio Scariolo y Miguel Mendezpresent at the event because the Gala is already part of the national teams’ summer agenda.
Special Awards
Nothing more meaningful than the Special Award to Rudy Fernandezstill immersed in the mission of the sixth Olympic Games (world record), Vega Gimenowho will enjoy Paris 2024 with the blessed 3×3 (so amazing that he qualified with a basket from Alonso de Armiño’s back), and Sergio Rodriguez, who has just ended his career of baskets taken out of the hat. In the morning Madrid honored him, at night, the entire Spanish basketball, nostalgic for ‘Chachismo’ already, a different basketball, as he said Elisa. In a script trick, Marta Fernandezwho presented the Gala together with Vicente Ortega, from Radio MARCA, presented the award to his brother Rudy. The hug between the two will truly be remembered.
If the FEB It is a leading institution of Spanish sports where a woman leads for the first time in 100 years, the V Basketball Gala was not alien to that spirit. saw how Maria Lacasafuture Director of Communication at Endesa, and Rachel de Diego, sponsorship manager at CaixaBank, were also protagonists in the awards ceremony. It’s not a pose. There is a vocation and conviction for the role of women in management. Strategic partners such as Renfe, Diego Crescente y Ricardo Inogésand CaixaBank, Ingigo Roythey signed up for the party in which the hosts congratulated each other on the good health of basketball.
No one was missing. Jose Miguel Callejageneral director of the ACB, Alfonso Reyespresident of the ABP, Lucila Pascuapresident of the AJUB, Juan María Gavaldápresident of the AEBB, Gem Nunsbusiness director of MARCA, Jose Asensiorepresentative of the Endesa Women’s League Club Association, the legends Felipe Reyes y Amaya Valdemoro…
“This will not be the cherry on top of the year. The cyou are going to put olofón in the Valencia Pre-Olympic and then in the Games. Let this Gala serve as a plot to achieve qualification and reach Paris. The Games would not be the same without you. Let’s enjoy the prelude to what will be something great,” he commented. Juan Ignacio Gallardo, director of MARCA. “Because you dream about baskets,” said Andrés Feliz.
