Lorenzo Brown, from the controversial express nationalization to a hero of Spain

The gold of Berlin is based on capricious twists of fate.

A guy that the average fan had never heard of has become a hero, a player who until just a few months ago had barely set foot in Spain is the unsuspected new national idol.

An American point guard who never dreamed of playing in a national team tournament is a Eurobasket champion and was chosen as the best point guard in the tournament.

Last winter one of the most surprising movements that Spanish basketball has carried out in recent years was forged behind the scenes.

As controversial in origin as satisfactory in the outcome.

There is no one who has not finished surrendering to

, neither on nor off the court.

After

's confirmed withdrawal from the national team

, it was about finding a director who would be able to thread the national team's game, keep it competitive in the face of what was coming.

The process had little to do this time with the excellent training work of the Federation, rather it seemed to collide head-on.

Because you had to cross an unprecedented border, you had to 'sign'.

They were complicated weeks in the offices of the entity chaired by

.

It was necessary to find the right player to nationalize and the range was not too wide.

And given the barrage of criticism that was expected and assumed, the bet could not be failed, since a mediocre performance would raise the tone.

's approval

, with whom he had spent a year at the Raptors.

olympic goal

With the player convinced - he would renounce his American nationality, but in exchange the doors of a juicier contract at ACB would be opened for him for his new passport, for example - there was still another arduous part, that of having the papers for his express nationalization in time for summer.

Brown was not a long-term bet.

At 32 years old, his mission was immediate.

Of course, the Eurobasket.

But also the next World Cup, where Spain must try the very complicated challenge of getting a ticket for the Games (or at least the opportunity to go to the Olympic Qualifying).

On July 5, the BOE confirmed the procedure "in response to exceptional circumstances" by "nature letter".

Lorenzo had been sworn into the constitution in Houston.

The critics did not wait.

They were very hard and in the FEB those that came from the players' union chaired by

were especially stung : "With the express obtaining of Spanish nationality by a player without any roots in Spain, the message that is sent to the national players is very harmful and has a negative impact on both the present and the future".

More destabilized a message from

, then rectified.

"It doesn't seem right to me. I've already told the president of the Federation, Jorge Garbajosa, and as captain I had to give my opinion. I found out from the press that they had nationalized that player, who had no link with the country "The captain expressed the feelings of many about a process that had little to do with previous cases such as

.

The procedures took a little longer than necessary, to the nervousness of the coach.

Even so much so that Lorenzo could not attend to the proposals of some Spanish team - there was talk of Real Madrid - and he ended up signing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he will go after the success in Berlin, totally revalued.

the pocha

After the earthquake, the love story.

When the ball began to bounce, everything calmed down.

Lorenzo, a quiet guy without too much ego, nevertheless fit in with the group from the beginning.

Rudy, once retracted and, like a good captain, threw the doors of La Familia wide open to Brown.

During the preparation, he did not finish showing his entire repertoire.

What seemed like shyness was, however, a learning process.

Lorenzo first wanted to meet his teammates on the track, to know what each one was capable of, to adapt to what was coming.

There would be time to launch the decisive shots.

Once in Tbilisi, the explosion came from him.

Impressive already from the first day against Bulgaria (17 points and five assists in 17 minutes), he was completely key in crosses to the point of finishing in the ideal quintet of the tournament.

Also in the Eurobasket he got a dart.

"I'm not sure what that team would be like without Lorenzo Brown because they signed him this summer, but it is what it is,"

said after losing in the round of 16.

"Here I am a simple American. These boys speak Spanish and I am learning every day. It is impressive how they have treated me. What happens outside does not matter to me, only what these boys think. They love me and I love them," he replied him these days.

Because Lorenzo has also ended up captivating everyone off the track.

's roommate

and with the

as accomplices and guides, Brown has even ended up playing 'pocha'.

"The debate about Lorenzo Brown has been based on ignorance, opportunism or xenophobia," protested the coach, surrendering to the attitude of his pupil.

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