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  • Spain: Scariolo's tactical recital that drives the national team

Víctor Claver (Valencia, 1988) was always hurt by expectations. In that young redhead, athletic and elegant at the same time, technically gifted, even a good shooter, a star project was envisioned. At 31, 13 after his debut with Valencia by Ricard Casas (curiously today he is still his second coach, at Barça), he has already gone through adventures for a lifetime - from the ACB to Portland, then Russia, now Barcelona -, although perhaps it has not been until this maturity when at last the world has realized that it is not necessary to be a genius to be a total player. Claver, the altruist, has become, on his own merits, trending topic at the World Cup in China.

Even now, as fundamental in the national team as Ricky Rubio or Marc Gasol, does he like the role of leader. It is from those who do not raise their voice. It retains the youthful face and its personality of giant good-natured, as shy as exquisitely polite, and always well-intentioned, sometimes too much, also on the track. It woke up in the selection in 2009 , next to Llull, who is his great buddy, inseparable the trio they form with Ricky. Together they are seen everywhere. And after so many tournaments at the bottom of the rotation, he got what few bet: become essential.

The Barça player had trouble reaching that status that promised his amazing qualities, which made him a candy for the NBA (22 of the 2009 draft) . His has been a matter of patience. Today, who would have said it, is a pillar of this Spain that will seek (15.00 h., Four) against Poland to return, 13 years later, to the semifinals of a World Cup, where there is a France that collapsed to France and will be seen against Czech Republic.

«The intangibles. I always want those players in my team, ” Rudy Fernandez praised him after the bombing against Serbia, precisely the king of those aspects that hides the statistics. And he made a comparison that once seemed a daring: «I had a great player ahead many years in the national team, Carlos Jiménez, who silently did an incredible job. Victor deserves all the compliments ».

Six medals

Because Claver was always there, from the Eurobasket of Poland, six medals in his neck, 145 games with Spain. It is a historical, although until the European of 2013 it had no real prominence. Something similar happened to him during his time in the Blazers, where in three seasons he played one (82 games in descending progression, just over 13 minutes on average). He could have succumbed to the broken toy paper, diluted his career. The Valencian, trained at the Marist College where his father (former handball player), was the Professor of Physics and Chemistry, was only a matter of self-confidence. “There are people who expected it to be another type of player. I always think more about the team, I play for the group to win. Although it is true that sometimes it would have to be more selfish, ”he acknowledged long ago.

Back in the NBA, that purgatory in Russia was a spring when it could have been a grave. Love was made for coaches, who finally exploited their desire to contribute to the collective. He even played a Final Four with Lokomotiv, where Bartzokas already made him indispensable before meeting him again at Barça. Azulgrana for three seasons -also vital for Pesic now-, only the right of first refusal demanded by Valencia prevented his agreement with Real Madrid from being initialed.

With Claver they tend to forget their summits and strengthen their gray periods. Few remember that, until this summer - the European 2017 was lost after operating the knee -, the last action of the forward with Spain had been a jewel, a defensive genius, a robbery to Australia in the last play that would lead to the Olympic bronze . Or that in 2015 he was already high in gold, key his night in the quarterfinals against Greece, his defense over Antetokounmpo.

Claver, finally. In his magical weekend in Wuhan, when two NBA stars, Gallinari and Bjeliça - 14 points and seven rebounds against Serbia , in addition - were erased from the map by him, for which it was worth it until the tears shed. «All of us who have dedicated ourselves to this have cried. Me more for the bad. We live many sensations. There are moments of loneliness. And it also suffers. But bad times help you be better, ”he confessed last year in an interview in this newspaper.

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