I never was a player with future. My coach used to say me I had a wooden hand when I was shooting. I’m just 5’9” and it was clear I never would reach… the fifth division. So, I never played in front of 12.000 people as you had during the U18 FIBA Europe All Stars. In fact, I never knew what means to be focused for a professional game. I envy you: I never enjoyed trips in a team flight, concentrations, training camps and whole these kind of experiences that every kid dreams one day to be basketball player. You will be able to say: “Yes. I lived it”.

 

Probably, this morning, when you arrived to the locker room after the game you said: “Fucking shit! I missed the last shot”. It’s true: Team White had three opportunities to win. Probably if you would score last shot, you could be chosen as MVP, other players could remember you as a player-who-decides-games and the press would begin to fix their attention on you. For sure tomorrow newspapers will describe Team Blue’s victory for 80-81 because “Team White failed to execute with the last possession and how Sergey Karasev, from Russia, was named MVP”. Clutch time! The first thought is: “How many times I got the ball with my team and I filled in? I always have felt myself like Sasha Djordjevic, Gianluca Basile, Juan Carlos Navarro or other ones. I did it before. So why not today?”

 

Because this is another step in your learning process. There are many things you have to learn until you get pro: technical, tactical, physical issues… But there are others that only time gives you the possibility to know, situations that put you on the razor's edge. Situations that in the future will turn into common. And your success in your career will depend –in part, of course- of your strength to handle it. Talent is important, the knowledge of the game too. But at this level, in a level where everybody is very very good… Your reaction with hungry to keep improving and your persistence on work are probably more.  

 

Yours. 

 

-The Twitter account of the author is @MarcMundet78

 

Photo: FIBA Europe / Castoria / Wiedensohler (Swedish Will Magarity dunking during the game)