Aday Mara, the giant "without complexes" who amazes Spanish basketball: "Everyone asks about him"

• Aldama The sacrifice of the Eurobasket and his great opportunity in the Grizzlies

The first action of her career in ACB, on Sunday at Príncipe Felipe,

(Zaragoza, 2005) completed a manual

with a two-handed mate.

In the next four minutes against Baskonia, he scored eight points without fail.

In the repertoire, an

with the left and a triple coming on the run.

Immediate impact of the giant (2.20 meters) heralded: no seven feet (2.13 or more) had debuted so young in the national competition.

But yesterday, Monday, he had to go back to school, it's exam week.

Because Aday doesn't turn 18 until next April.

She is in her 2nd year of Baccalaureate and intends to start a Physiotherapy career.

His break into the elite was only a matter of time.

Last year he already played a few minutes in the FIBA ​​Europe Cup with Casademont Zaragoza, now

did not hesitate to resort to his pearl in the face of the emergencies of a team that is accumulating injuries and defeats.

In the summer he had presented himself to the planet with the world silver achieved with the sub 17 in Malaga, only eclipsed by Izan Almansa's MVP.

There he averaged 12.6 points, five rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

But it was his ability to pass the ball that wowed

and sparked comparisons.

Although the key in Mara's early career has been 'patience'.

repeats the quality

, the man who recruited Aday for Zaragoza's quarry when he was just a kid.

Remember the words of

, the club's legendary manager.

«There is a very tall boy...».

“We went to see him at school.

He was a head above the rest.

He was very shy, very attached to his parents as an only child.

At first it was difficult for him, ”recalls the now sports director of HLA Alicante about the son of the former Maño player

, from Tenerife

, a former international volleyball player, 2.01 meters he, more than 1.90 her.

"We had to be very patient.

We were all aware that we were facing a great project, but it was difficult for him to compete, run the track, even contact with his rivals.

He wasn't capable of outmatching anyone one-on-one.

We could not allow him to enter into processes that caused him frustration," says Arbalejo, who is also an international scout for the Utah Jazz: "There is no NBA team that does not send reports on Aday's progress every month."

E. Houses

That interest across the pond is corroborated by

, director of Basketball Operations at Gonzaga University, who had Aday under his command this summer as an assistant in the Sub 17. «Everyone asks about him.

He aroused attention in the World Cup final, all the self-confidence and toughness he showed against the USA [16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks...] », tells about a boy with a personality «without complexes» .

"Those who are so tall are usually a bit shy. He accepts his body. He doesn't care, he's a

, a joker," admits Sanz, handy like him.

«My experience with Aday this summer in the national team has been sensational.

She has great leadership skills.

I was very struck by her tolerance for frustration.

Always, even in moments of competitive adversity, she is able to work with a smile », points

, her coach, also a LEB Oro Menorca coach.

Before the boom at Martín Carpena, in its slow maturation there were two key coaches.

First,

, with whom he came to play a Mini Cup in Madrid.

Later,

, who continues to direct his steps in the junior and the EBA of Zaragoza.

The ones that managed to develop Mara's innate understanding of the game.

Beyond the obvious of his physique, if there is something written in red in the scouts' notebook, it is his knowledge of basketball.

"He has no ceiling," summarizes Arbalejo, who remains in contact with Aday and his family and who speaks of another more unknown characteristic of the new Spanish basketball diamond: "his competitiveness."

"He's not your typical big softie. He's got temper and character," he describes.

E. Houses

«He has had a very notable impact on attack due to his ability to play the pick and roll above the rim.

But it wasn't about it being the Aday Mara show either, it was about producing in a position where we were having problems," said his questioned coach Martin Schiller.

While the waters in Zaragoza calm down (or not), Aday will continue with his Baccalaureate studies, protected by the family environment that does not make him lower his guard.

Because, they say, even he himself is still surprised at the speed with which everything is happening to him.

Two years ago he wasn't sure things would go well for him at EBA and now he sees the next big thing.

Pretenders will not be missing.

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