Spanish+Basketball

__Spanish Basketball__



__ World Competition: __ ---The rise of Spanish basketball has occured much more recently, for the most part, than that of Russia. This is a common theme in European basketball, as Soviet competition with America, led to them developing much earlier in the sport. Spain managed some success before the Millenium, including a silver medal in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. However, the Spanish were unable to build off this success, failing to finish higher than sixth in the next five Olympic Games. The future looks bright for Spanish basketball, as the team qualified for the 2008 Olympics by being crowned the world champion at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

__ A Bright Future: __---The future of Spanish basketball looks very promising. The current national team of Spain contains five NBA players. These players are Pau Gasol, Jorge Garbajosa, Sergio Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Jose Calderon. Spain has achieved international success after directing its attention towards the youth. Youth basketball camps and more readily available coaching have increased the talent coming out of the country. Pau Gasol looks like he will continue to dominate international and NBA play, as he leads the Lakers through the NBA playoffs. His brother, Marc Gasol, is a promising prospect, having been named the MVP of the Spanish League this season. ---Spanish Basketball Players:

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