Spain’s first threat in the Pre-Olympic: “For the NBA he was not a person, he was fat”
LTo new competitive reality, as defined by national coach Sergio Scariolo, from Spain leaves the team facing a vital and lethal Pre-Olympic in Valencia. Qualification for Paris 2024 passes through La Fonteta and from the first day requires maximum concentration. There are no scares, even though La Familia is a total favorite against its first rival, the very modest Lebanon (8:30 p.m., Teledeporte).
The Middle East team is not as weak as it seems. It is the 28 in the FIBA ranking (Bahamas is 57) and comes from a last decent World Cup in which they competed head-to-head against France (79-85). Regulars of important competitions with recognizable faces, like the former NBA Omari Spellman.
I was fat, to them I was nobody
The native of Ohio, who later obtained nationality, was drafted 30th in 2018 by the Hawks and the league closed its doors on him due to overweight problems. “I was fat, to them I was nobody. I wasn’t a person,” he confessed some time later. His career took another path and he plays in South Korea. Leader of Lebanon, more so with the loss of Arakji, MVP of the Asian BCL.
Any career in the NBA was closed to Spelmann. “I was screwed. But when I did it, no one helped me. Nobody told me anything. I was alone and you have to learn when you don’t know anything. I experienced many things. And I didn’t learn so quickly,” he acknowledged. His career took other horizons until he led Lebanon.
I was getting screwed and I was alone. Nobody helped me
Against Spellman, a big, talented and intimidating player, Spain will have to impose its game, defense and energy. There is only one precedent. At the 2010 World Cup in Turkey they met and the team that was defending the title at that time swept 57-91 in Izmir with a brilliant Pau Gasol (25).
