In 2022 the EuroBasket was held, where its final phase was played in Berlin. A competition where at the beginning all the spotlights were focused on NBA stars Doncic, Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but in which all of them were overshadowed by the teamwork of Spain, unexpected winner of the Gold after a parenthesis edition

In the semifinals, Spain defeated the local Germany (91-96), with a great game by Lorenzo Brown, and France clearly crushed Poland (95-54). In the fight for the Bronze medal, Germany overcame Poland’s reluctance (82-69), and in the final, Spain finished a great tournament beating the French (88-76), with a memorable game by Juancho Hernangómez, well supported by his brother Willy, named MVP of the EuroBasket, and Brown.

European Champions, Gold Medal. The National Team has done it again. It has defeated France in the final in Berlin (88-76), in a waste of strategy, character, talent and competitiveness. In short: another exhibition of the Team rounded by 7 three-pointers by Juancho and 11 assists by Brown. It is the 9th medal in the last 10 championships, a historical record that consolidates Spain as the great European power of the 21st century, also climbing a step up in relation to the 2017 bronze. In short: a National Team that further aggrandizes its legend.
The first points of the game have gone up on the scoreboard from the 3-point line, the first basket in play has not come until the 3rd minute and Fournier has scored it. But Spain was the first to focus, get rid of the tension and start playing at their own pace, to command the whole court, and with a triple by Jaime Fernandez and a basket by Brown has been placed in a 14-5 (minute 6) that not only has begun to open a gap but has sunk the French in an anxiety that at times has been turning into impotence. The control has not ceased to be Spanish and two consecutive three-pointers, Heurtel and Rudy, have closed the first 10 minutes (23-14), a prelude to what was to come next.

Because Spain started the second quarter with two three-pointers by Juancho (29-14, minute 12) and neither the zone defense of Collet, with two towers, Gobert and Poirier, has been an antidote to a team on a roll. Difficult, if not impossible, to give in the video of these second 10 minutes with a mistake of the National Team. Defending in zone or mixed on Fournier, developing their attacks without haste or inaccuracies, putting the ball where it should go at all times, forcing the French to exhaust up to two consecutive attacks … and Juancho’s wrist to walk: he has nailed three more and Spain, in full display of everything, has been +21 (47-26, minute 18). Only in the last two minutes the physical level has dropped and France has taken advantage of it to make up what was being an indigestible result: a partial 0-11 has led to the break, but with Spain still with a clear advantage (47-37).

The lead was reduced at the start of the second half to 49-46 (24th minute) after several baskets by Yabusele, but Spain quickly got back on track. Willy, Juancho and a triple by Jaime put more difference on the scoreboard than there was at halftime (58-46) and it can be said that from that moment on, even though the French were reluctant to give up, they had already won the game. In the last minute, moreover, Rudy forced Fournier’s third foul and nailed a three-pointer (66-57).

So France played the last ten minutes in desperation. Not only the score but also the strategic initiative of Spain – zone defense, mixed on Fournier … – has led it to modify its schemes. She tried again with the centimeters of Gobert and Poirier at the same time, but neither, while Spain was feeling more winning every minute, without being unbalanced by any questionable action or their few mistakes. With Willy back on the court, Brown has put the 80-68 (minute 38) and if the French had any hope, Alberto Diaz has dynamited it with a triple with just over a minute left (85-70). What was left was already inconsequential.

Spain 88
*Brown – 14p, 11a, 2br
*J. Fernández – 13p, 4br, 2a
*López-Arostegui – 0p, 4r, 2a
*Pradilla – 0p, 3r
*Willy Hernangómez – 14p, 8r
Díaz – 8p, 3a, 2br
Brizuela – 3p, 2a
R. Fernández – 7p, 1r, 1br
J. Hernangómez – 27p, 5r, 2br
Garuba – 2p, 4a, 2t
Parra – 0p
Saiz – 0p

France 76
*Albicy – 1p
*Tarpey – 4p, 9r, 2a
*Fournier – 23p, 3r, 2a
*Yabusele – 13p, 6a, 2r
*Gobert – 6p, 6r, 2t
Heurtel – 16p, 7a, 1br
Okobo – 9p, 3r, 1a
Luwawu-Cabarrot – 0p, 1r
Poirier – 4p, 1r, 1a
Fall – 0p, 1r, 1t
M`Baye –
Maledon –