Eurobasket 2003: A bitter silver

Spain was already as favorite international championships. Well, as a favorite, but our heart was growing with gallons and gaining maturity. Proof of this was the perfect first step that made the selection.

Framed in the same group as Russia and Serbia, the only easy game was supposed to Sweden, who won more than 45 points. But neither were the other parties as dramatic and solvents with 12 and 8 points of difference with the first square alzándonos group that got us directly in the quarterfinals without playing the playoff, with France, Greece and Lithuania.

Our rival was Israel that we had to play us another year after the play-off against them in 2001. 78-64 was the final result, and only Greece, the group winners fell at the quarter-final against Italy, which would be our rival in the semis. In 1999 it was the Italians who won the final and we took away the gold, and that Spain was particularly want them.

The game was very stuck, very even, with an Italian named Bulleri that infuriated us all, but Spain could finally emerge victorious, (81-79) and proceed to the grand final, to struggle for the gold with Lithuania .

However, the birds of Spain are not new and in the end, only Juan Carlos Navarro, Pau Gasol, Jorge Garbajosa and Alberto Herreros responded, and only scored one free throw. With only three players scoring, it seems very difficult feat and more taking on guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas ahead. The result was 84-93, but Spain had managed to direct qualification for the Olympics.