Entering this year’s EuroBasket, Spain had many doubters. There were no former NBA All-Stars Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol, some of its most important players had to sit out due to injuries like ex-EuroLeague MVP Sergio Llull, and the competition was stiff. But in the end, it didn’t matter.
Spain embarked on an improbable EuroBasket run that finished with a gold medal after a 88-76 win over France in the finals. This marks the fourth time Spain became a European champion and the first since 2015.
The 2022 EuroBasket was expected to be somewhat of a rebuilding tournament for Spain, considering that their team looked a lot weaker on paper than in some previous years. The only NBA players on the roster were Willy Hernangómez, Juancho Hernangómez, and Usman Garuba, all of which were rotational players last season at best.
However, under the guidance of their longtime head coach Sergio Scariolo, Spain finished at the top of Group A with ease and booked a spot in the knockout stage. On their road to finals, they went to beat Lithuania, Finland, and hosts Germany, despite being underdogs in two of those three games.
Facing France, led by Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert and the New York Knicks’ Evan Fournier, Spain showed the same resilience. They wrapped up the first quarter with a 23–14 lead and then maintained the gap to the end by making timely shots, forcing turnovers, and playing stout defense.
Spain’s Willy Hernangómez was named the MVP of the tournament and was part of the All Tournament Team alongside his teammate Lorenzo Brown. The two were joined by Gobert, Germany’s Dennis Schröder, and Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
