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The little time he has left, Sergio Scariolo dedicates to golf, one of his passions. And one of the not so many leisure activities that players, technicians, referees, NBA personnel, journalists, etc ... secluded in the Disney World bubble can easily do. «With my partner Adrian Griffin I share many games. Also with Nick Nurse [head coach], who is a great player, he can perfectly finish four or five over par. Kyle Lowry and Matt Thomas are the highest level, "admits the assistant to the Raptors, who faces an unusual adventure in his already vast career: defending the champion ring, starting on Friday, in the new NBA restart.

The national coach serves EL MUNDO from the Gran Destino Tower , the impressive hotel that houses the top eight finishers in Coronado Springs. In the same enclosure there are two training fields. "The NBA is committed to keeping the players' stay as light as possible. The organization is extraordinary. They are very capable of reacting effectively and quickly on the fly to problems that may arise, to complaints, to what can be improved, "says the Italian, already accustomed to the white gadget that warns of physical proximity.

Ever since the coronavirus paralyzed the NBA after the positive of Rudy Gobert , almost at the same time that Italy and Spain, the countries that divide his heart, were devastated by the pandemic, Scariolo has had, like so many, exhausting months. First, with the restlessness of the confinement in Toronto, along with his wife, Blanca Ares, their two children - Alessandro was able to travel from New York just before the closing of the borders - and a niece who studies in the country. «The initial moments of tragedy, of pain, of uncertainty. Nobody will forget that impact. That state of anxiety, especially those of us who lived abroad, of going to the internet every hour to watch the news ... », says Sergio, who had in his mother the best vital example. «He gave us the great lesson, with his ability to stay locked up at home with more than 90 years, without seeing anyone, with the lucidity of learning to use an ipad or a facetime. "Anything will take me, but not this," he told us. She has a degree in chemistry and biology and explained the virus to us ”, he says excitedly.

"We are competitive"

When normality seemed to return and his family was able to travel to Marbella, the technician soon called him professional duty. Since June 22, he has been concentrated with the Raptors, first in Fort Myers -because he came from Canada-, then, with the 22 participants, in the Disney complex. “In general it went well. Nick has been able to keep his balance of working and not overloading, without burdens that could burn players. Now we are already looking at the matches and it is shorter for us ”, he points out after the morning training. Because that, the resistance capacity of some players little used to the discipline of the concentrations, will be key. “On a mental level, it is a challenge. The work of veterans will be essential. The motivation to do it well is going to be superior to any weakness ».

There are the Raptors, second in the East before the collapse, with Marc Gasol "very fine and psyched to play and to guide the youngest" as leader along with Siakam, Lowry or Ibaka, in search of the most difficult still without Kawhi Leonard . "We have the feeling of being competitive. Maybe not like last year, we had the most talented team in the NBA. We don't have as many superstars as others. But yes, solidity, cohesion, we are even deeper than people think. In addition, we have the added advantage of having won together, the confidence in each other, that when the time comes the partner will give you the ball if he has two men on him and will come to the aid if your man has outdone you. That feeling that gives you the fact of having won a title together », stresses the world champion, about a franchise one step behind in the list of favorites that occupy Bucks, Lakers or Clippers.

@NBAspain

These days Scariolo should already be in Tokyo, on the eve of the Olympic challenge, with the flag of kings of the world that conquered Spain in Beijing. A feat that seems like centuries have passed, although it is impossible to forget. Still pending or not to extend his contract with the Federation - « I would like to be on the national team bench again , although there has been no step forward. I have no emergencies »-, the adventures of fate now place him in another basketball epicenter, the one that the NBA has mounted to demonstrate its power, even if it is in a bubble that surrounds the bleak panorama of Florida, where the virus advances without mercy . "The feeling of security is very high in here," reassures and reflects on the whys of the league for a huge deployment.

«There is a message of efficiency and organizational capacity. To react on the fly from the day it was suspended. All professional leagues are watching. Of course, the economic aspect, the level that has cost so much to achieve, you do not want to lose. And finally, there is the feeling that you can get to compete in different conditions. But here inside, it does not occur to anyone to speak of an asterisk . On the contrary, everyone says, 'This is going to be a more valued ring, due to the difficulties', he enumerates, finally going on to reflect on the personal side of a unique experience:' This makes you realize that many times the one that most limited to oneself is man himself. How many things we did not think we could do. The adaptability, the versatility of navigating without GPS and without panic ... ».

George Floyd

After what happened with George Floyd, it was time. It is good to learn, study, learn about the problem, to avoid that without realizing it we can tolerate or even be transmitters of an indifference that can be dangerous. In Spain, the extent of the problem has not been perceived ». Scariolo is no stranger to the social boom that is shaking the United States. The NBA's own return is a showcase for its fight against racism. On the parquet of each court you can read the motto: 'Black Lives Matter'. And many players will wear vindictive messages on their shirts. “When I was born, the United States had just eliminated racial laws. When you realize how little has happened ... And, although it hurts, it has not yet internalized that reality of equality, of social justice that in places in the US it is evident that there is not, "protests the technician, proud to be part of this platform. «I understand those who say, here we have other problems. It is true that the problems that touch you directly interest you the most and you prioritize them. But we are talking about the most powerful and influential country in the world. In Spain or Italy, the problem of migrants has not always been well focused. We have faced it in a very radical way, either all inside or all outside. And the situations are much more complex », ditch.

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