It is summer 2022 and we are about to witness a team that has brought success to the men’s Czech basketball in the past 4 years. It is a special generation of players, led by Satoransky and Vesely, that are eager to add yet another good performance in Eurobasket.
Pressure will be different this time, since the expectations are higher, and the team will play in front of their own fans in Prague. It is a new experience for everyone, and it could be tricky.
Luckily, this
team is not only about the two players mentioned above. Players like Balvin,
Auda, Hruban, Bohacik, Jelinek, Krejci (young NBA guard) and others, stepped up
for this team on numerous occasions and that is what makes this group special.
It is not a one-man show, this is a team that plays together, fights together
and wins together. There is no secret behind the 6th place in the
2019 World Cup in China, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021: this team
plays well together!
Coach
Ginzburg can count on all main players for this event, and in my opinion, this
is the deepest group that we have ever had. Personally, I feel fortunate to be taking
part of this team as assistant, trying to use my experience and obviously it
will be great opportunity for me to gain experience on the highest European
level.
I really
hope that we can stay healthy, since we will be tested in qualification games
for the World Cup vs France and Hungary, and that comes September, our team
will be playing to its full potential.
Speaking of this special group, it is clear, that most of its players are aging (over 30 years old), and their time with the national team will be over within next few years. It is something inevitable, something that all national teams must deal with. They call it changing of generations. Even though we know that this time is coming, let’s enjoy this group right now and let’s hope that they can deliver yet another success to Czech basketball.
Lubos Barton