From the Spain of the Gasols to the Spain of the Hernangómez

• Interview Willy Hernangómez: "We weren't the strongest in the World Cup either"

• Interview Juancho Hernangómez: "My season, my life, my career... everything has been a roller coaster"

From the Spain of the

to the Spain of the

.

It was about avoiding comparisons, not falling into the temptation of looking at the past.

And yet, there is the national team, where always, fighting for medals in this new era too, looking today (8:30 p.m., Telecinco) against Germany for the 10th final in its history in a Eurobasket.

In the Berlin Arena a surname will be familiar in the packed stands.

On his back, Willy claims the maternal

, the German genes of the brothers, who overcame criticism and doubts to lead, on the court and in the locker room, the most difficult of generational relays.

Double credit to them.

First, for the courage of not avoiding the responsibility of making the legacy continue, aware of the difficulties of the new times.

Second and more importantly, for his performance on the track.

And there, the statistics speak.

To know more

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Alberto Díaz, the unlikely hero of the national team: "He asked me to leave basketball"

• Drafting: LUCAS SÁEZ-BRAVO(Special envoy)Berlin

Alberto Díaz, the unlikely hero of the national team: "He asked me to leave basketball"

Willy

is the most valued (21.3), the top scorer (17.9) and rebounder (7.1) and the one with the best shooting percentage (68.8%) in Spain.

«

told me that he wanted to make me a star.

That he is going to demand more from me than anyone else, because he trusts me, because he wants him to be the best possible player.

He sometimes he sees my faults and he tells me.

I thank you, we have a lot of confidence.

I love that he tightens the nuts on me.

I feel confident, I want to continue like this”, the Pelicans center admitted yesterday in a small room at the Sheraton Berlin Grand Hotel -while

and his teammates left for the airport to return to Slovenia-, who is awaited by an old acquaintance from the NBA, the fierce

.

Juancho is the second player who plays the most minutes (23.2), the third in PIR (12.9), scoring (10.7) and rebounds (5.3) and the best in something that may look less but speak better than him: in the balance of points scored and received by the national team, nobody like the new Raptors player (8.6).

A thorn in the side of the past Games that was lost at the last minute by order of the Timberwolves, a summer from less to more and two final games to take off the hat (13 points to Lithuania and 15 to Finland).

"I try to help the team.

I have to give my best version », he also explained yesterday, much more concise than the older brother.

And with a no less arduous mission against Germany.

will be his peers.

Clemens Bilanefe

In full maturity (28 years the oldest, about to turn 27 in the middle of the saga) and with the asterisk that he has not been able to completely tear down the NBA wall - Willy is a substitute in New Orleans - Juancho will wear his fifth jersey in just one year -, the Hernangómez family had this tournament marked by fire.

Yesterday marked three exact years of world gold in Beijing, where they were instrumental in the success, but always as a complement to

.

This time they knew that almost everything passed through their hands.

After the end of the season, the promotion of his successful movie (Hustle), the forward focused on preparing for the European Championship while clearing up the unknowns of his future by signing for one season with the Raptors.

He remained in the NBA, which he always wanted, there will be time to return to Europe.

Willy, who has already played in a Eurobasket final (gold in 2015), also prepared thoroughly, working physically and technically with

in Madrid before the start of the training camp.

These days in Berlin they are accompanied by

as always.

On Wednesday, the day off after the win against Finland, they ate with the family in a typical German restaurant.

OLIVER BEHRENDTAFP

Scariolo claimed at the beginning of the tournament, those goads that are spurs, that there was no Spaniard among the 15 stars of the tournament and that perhaps, in the end... If today the ideal quintet had to be formed, Willy Hernangómez could not be missing.

Nor would Juancho be far away if Spain hangs a medal.

Together with Lorenzo Brown, they are the three offensive pillars.

Willing to surprise against "the best Eurobasket team so far" (Scariolo dixit), to go "to war" against the devil Schroeder, against the Germany of the giants and the shooters (12.9 three-pointers per game, which more, with more than 40% success), which ended with

and only lost one game, in the first phase against Slovenia.

«It's a great team, we're going to have the fans against... But it's a semifinal, it has to motivate us.

Feel like it, we work for this », pronounced the center yesterday, who shared the reflections of his coach and his captain.

He had asked

to "enjoy" the moment and Scariolo had replied with the word "compete."

"It's.

It is time to enjoy competing, being ourselves”, concluded Willy.

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