MADRID, 27 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish center of the New Orleans Pelicans believes that his team has “a lot of talent and a lot of chemistry” and that if he manages to put that together it could be “very difficult to stop” in the new NBA season, as Spain has shown in the past Eurobasket where The ‘MVP’ has been chosen, a success that has given him a “confidence” that he hopes will “translate into minutes” in the American league.
“You can be super talented, but you need a team around you that can help and know their role. I’ve told the guys here that Spain weren’t the most talented team, we didn’t have the strongest guy, but we were the best unit. , the team with the most chemistry and the best locker room”, reflected Hernangómez in statements collected by the NBA website in Spanish during his team’s ‘Media Day’.
The man from Madrid insisted that this formula “is the key” and that “winning teams have that in their DNA”. “That’s something I want to have in the Pelicans from the beginning. We have a lot of talent and a lot of chemistry in the locker room, and both things together can be very dangerous because he can be very good and very difficult to stop. Of course, we have to work from the beginning and that we set our goals,” he said.
The international is “prepared” and “confident” to try to shine in a new campaign in the NBA, where he wants to continue showing that when they have “minutes” he can be “one of the best centers to play basketball.” “I want to keep doing the same and I hope to play. Jonas (Valanciunas) and I made a bet that whoever won the match between Lithuania and Spain would be the starter, so here I am,” he added with a smile.
Willy Hernangómez believes that he hopes to “play and win” because he comes from “a winning team.” “I’m going to keep working to keep improving and help the team to win. It’s great to know that you have the confidence of the organization, this is my third year and I’ve tried to give everything every day that’s passed. I want to have a good season, get there to the ‘playoffs’ and be a better person. After this summer I feel so good that I hope that confidence translates into minutes,” he wished.
Asked about the secret of victory in the Eurobasket, the center doesn’t know it. “A lot of people didn’t believe in us because we didn’t have the people from the past, but there is something that we have inside in Spain and that is that we compete against anyone and we are not afraid of any team,” he remarked.
“For us it was just about competing every day, trying to improve during the tournament and doing our job. It was perfect, we did what we had to do in each game and give it our all,” added the Madrid native, who found it “incredible to be the leader and play so many minutes without any restriction”.
In addition, it was “super special” for him to succeed again with his brother Juancho. “Especially for him after a very tough year, having to change teams so many times. I told him to let the game come to him, that he was the national team and that everyone loved him and that he had no pressure. He grew up during the tournament and he was there when we needed him in the final”, he celebrated.
“It was Juancho, it wasn’t Bo Cruz (his character in the movie ‘Garra’), he found his rhythm. It’s really difficult when you spend so many games without playing, without confidence, you seem like a completely different player. My brother is the one that everyone He saw it in the final, with confidence and shooting. I hope everyone sees it this year, “said the Pelicans player.