Juancho Hernangomez highlights importance of family atmosphere in Spain team ahead of World Cup

MADRID (Spain) - Juancho Hernangomez competes with the best players in basketball on a daily basis as a member of the Denver Nuggets, now one of the best teams in the NBA.

He gets better each and every day, both in terms of refining his skills and learning what it takes to be successful. The same can be said for what he'll experience over the next one and a half months.

He'll rub shoulders with the top players in his country with Spain's national team national team. Barring anything unexpected, Hernangomez will, for the first time, play at a FIBA Basketball World Cup, in China.

"THE GROUP OF PLAYERS IS A GREAT FAMILY. WE GET ALONG VERY WELL AND WE HAVE EACH OTHER’S BACK. I LIKE OUR UNITY; I LIKE OUR CHEMISTRY... TEAM IS ABOVE EVERYTHING."- Hernangomez

Hernangomez will go into battle with Marc Gasol, a member of the country's title-winning squad at the World Cup in Japan 13 years ago.

The 23-year-old forward views the opportunity as both an honor, and an opportunity to get better. Gasol just several weeks ago won the NBA title with the Toronto Raptors.

"Marc is a leader, an example, and one of the best players in the history of Spanish basketball," Hernangomez said. "Having him with us is such a great thing, and we, the young guys, are always learning from players like Marc, and it’s priceless to share time and be in the same team.

Hernangomez was embraced at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 by Gasol, one of the leaders in this year's Spain team

"He had a great season. I followed, closely, what he did and he is such an impactful player. He's won everything with La Roja, and he's still looking for more titles and medals. He knows so much about the game, and he knows how to help the team on both ends of the floor. He wants to win and his energy is very positive for the group."

Experience in international basketball is vital for national teams with hopes of reaching the podium. Spain need Gasol, and three other members of this summer's squad, Rudy Fernandez, Ricky Rubio and Sergio Llull, because they are a part of the country's golden generation.

"It’s a blessing to have guys like this on a team, and you can only embrace the possibility of learning and improving with talented players like them," Hernangomez said. "They have experience, talent and they have won so much with the national team, and they're great examples as guys that inspire for all of us.

"WE ARE AMBITIOUS, BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME. THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF TIME UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE TOURNAMENT, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE HEALTHY AND IN THE BEST SHAPE WE CAN BE."- Hernangomez

"I really like how they impact the group. They're very good guys and great teammates, so it’s a pleasure to play and share time with all of them."

Hernangomez, whose brother Willy has been in the national team since Spain's triumphant FIBA EuroBasket 2015 campaign, says there is another reason he's looking forward to the World Cup.

"The group of players is a great family," he said. "We get along very well and we have each other’s back. I like our unity; I like our chemistry, as we all want to have another great summer with the national team. Team is above everything."

Hernangomez played in two of Spain's games in the European Qualifiers, helping his country reach this summer's 32-team event in China. Spain will have First Round games, in Group C, against Tunisia, Iran and Puerto Rico. They will need to finish in the top two of that pool to advance to Second Round Group J, where they would go up against the first two sides from a Group D that consists of Serbia, Italy, Angola and the Philippines.

The top two teams in each of the four Second Round groups will clinch Quarter-Final spots.

Hernangomez says he isn't looking too far ahead.

"It's a very interesting group, and we have to focus on ourselves in order to be in the best shape and have the best chemistry for the first game," he said. "All the teams we are facing are going to want to play well and try to win against us, so we will have to stay focused and play well to get through the First Round with the best record possible.

"We want to win the three games of the First Round to be in the best dynamic for the start of the next one. We are all very motivated for the FIBA World Cup, and we want to go far into the tournament. Every team that's going to compete in China is going to be tough to beat, so we will have to play at our best level.

"We are ambitious, but we have to take it one step at a time. There is still plenty of time until the beginning of the tournament, and the most important thing is to be healthy and in the best shape we can be."

FIBA