CEvery time he goes out on the track the earth shakes. Usman Garuba (Madrid, 2002) has become one of the key pieces for obvious reasons of the soul of Spain. The power forward formed in the Real Madrid, in the Golden State Warriors squad and with the future still to be decided He leads the team towards the Paris Games in the Valencia Pre-Olympic. There are only two wins left. Garuba serves MARCA as a great ambassador of the Kellogg’s Basketball Social Campus in Valencia, at the Santiago Apóstol Cabanyal School, one of those that fights the most for social inclusion. His strength reaches the children and is transmitted on the way to the Games.
We have a single objective with which we work: that of qualifying for the Paris Games.
ASK. The Valencia Pre-Olympic has started on a positive note for the team. They have two victories and are closer to the Paris Olympic Games. What are those first sensations of Spain like?
ANSWER. I’m very well. I feel better than ever. We have a single objective with which we work: that of qualifying for the Paris Games. We are close to it and we are going to compete to achieve it.
Q. Every time you step on the court you bring a special energy. Claw proves to be key on both sides of the court. What changes in Usman Garuba when he plays with the national team and steps on the court?
R. I am always the same player. I always try to play like that. When I play with the Golden State Warriors, with the G-League, with the national team or with Real Madrid, if I’m honest. With Spain it is true that it is seen more, but I am the same player.
I always try to play like that. When I play with the Golden State Warriors, with the G-League, with the national team or with Real Madrid, if I am honest
Q. What did this course teach you in the United States?
R. Many things. Just by being there you learn many things. It may not have been as fun as you would like, but I have learned a lot and it has taught me to continue improving as a player.
Q. A possible crossing in the final would take you to the Bahamas. Several NBA players play there that he has played with on many occasions. But there is a special one, Eric Gordon. He played with him in Houston, they have shared a locker room. Is it more than a match?
R. Even more so because they are coached by Chris DeMarco, who was also my assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. Yes, I know that team. And good. Eric Gordon is a good friend, I talk to him every day about this tournament. After every game he writes to me. And yes, if we play against them it will be a good game. But I can’t take anything for granted. We have to think about the semifinal clash. There is a rival there. And if we play against Bahamas, it will be a good game and I am sure it will be enjoyed.
We have to think about the semifinal clash. There is a rival there. And if we play against Bahamas, it will be a good game and I am sure it will be enjoyed.
Q. How do you see the team?
R. We’re ok. We are aware of our possibilities and although it is clearly not the highest level that can be reached in a championship, we are playing a good tournament. We are winning the games and that is the key. The clear objective is clear. It’s the Olympic Games and we only think about winning the Pre-Olympic quickly, solving all the games and getting there with the best possible chances to Paris.
Q. There can’t be anything else on your mind than that Olympic qualification?
R. There is no other worry and we all know it. We are all aware of the priority objective and we are going for it. And they are the Paris Games.
Q. You said when talking to children that one of your dreams come true was to go to the Tokyo Games (as another pointed out to the NBA Draft).
R. For an athlete, the Olympic Games are everything. And we also add that in Paris there will be an audience and you can enjoy everything with the fans. In Tokyo’s past they were very different. It will be special to be able to play with people in the stands. For both me and the team, enjoying Games like this will be very important. In addition to the importance for the people who follow us, our country and we are aware of it. About that pressure we have and the importance for the country of being able to attend the Paris event.
We know the importance of the Games for the people who follow us, our country and we are aware of it. About that pressure we have and the importance for the country of being able to attend the Paris event.
Q. You are a team that is at that midpoint between great veterans like Rudy Fernández or Sergio Llull and young people like Santi Aldama or his case. How do you see the evolution of the team since the last course?
R. Not everything went well in the World Cup. Of course, we played well. We had positive moments, in which we saw each other positively. But this is basketball. We ended up losing to Canada, which is a great team and ends up taking bronze in the championship. But the team continues to grow, it was a shame that we couldn’t certify it there and now we have learned. We are more mature.
Q. What would the classification be for you?
R. It would be special. Because of how the year went, because of how the course evolved and the way the season ended. It would be special to go. And not only go, but also be able to compete there and try to take Spain to the top.
P. He returns to Kellog’s to be an ambassador. It transmits a series of important values for the little ones at risk of exclusion through sport. How important is it for Usman Garuba to be more than an athlete?
R. It is key to transmit everything that I live and have experienced in my past. It is important to be able to tell how we can achieve everything through work and effort. That nothing is impossible.
