Satoransky eager to face 'inspiring' USA, show world Czechs got game

PRAGUE (Czech Republic) - Tomas Satoransky eagerly awaits the start of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, especially since Czech Republic tips off its first appearance at the global spectacle against the United States and gets a chance to show the world the country's competitiveness.

Satoransky played in two games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers as the Czechs took the next step in their progression, having played in the last three FIBA EuroBaskets.

"I feel great, excited and very much looking forward to the start of the tournament and to be in China with my teammates. We have been working so hard to qualify for China 2019 and we want to make the most of this opportunity to compete on the world stage," said Satoransky, who has spearheaded the recent Czech success.

"We don't compete in international competitions every year, and we want to show the world that Czech Republic has a very competitive team and that our basketball is improving a lot."

The Czechs made their return to the EuroBasket in 2013 after missing the previous two tournaments and then finished seventh in 2015 and eventually got a spot in the Olympic Qualification Tournament 2016, just missing out on their first-ever appearance at the Olympics.

After a disappointing 20th place finish at EuroBasket 2017, the Czechs rebounded with a strong FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers campaign. Ronen Ginzburg's team finished with an 8-4 record with only losses at Iceland, twice against France and at Russia. The third place seeding landed them in Group E in Shanghai along with Japan, Turkey and two-time defending champs United States.

"It's probably the most competitive group of the competition along with Group H (Australia, Senegal, Lithuania and Canada), and we are excited to face those teams," the 27-year-old Satoransky said. "Japan is a good team, they now have two guys (Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe) in the NBA and they had a great qualifying campaign. Turkey is a great team full of experience and some young guys coming up such as (Furkan) Korkmaz and (Cedi) Osman. And Team USA is… the best team in the world."

"I CAN SAY THAT (FACING USA) IS SPECIAL, SINCE I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN AMERICA FOR SOME YEARS NOW AND I AM GOING TO FACE SOME PLAYERS THAT I COMPETE AGAINST DURING THE SEASON."- Satoransky

Satoransky said the rest of the world is still comparing themselves to the Americans.

"They are the favorites, and they are the reference for the world of basketball, and their competitiveness is inspiring to everyone," he said. "They are going to try to keep their crown, and everyone is looking forward to playing against them."

The Czechs will open their Group E campaign at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center against the United States. And Satoransky admitted the opener will be of higher significance for himself.

"I can say that it is special, since I have been living in America for some years now and I am going to face some players that I compete against during the season," said Satoransky, who had been playing for the Washington Wizards for the last three seasons before moving this off-season to the Chicago Bulls.

"They have such an incredible team and I think that it is a great thing that we are going to play our first game of the tournament against them. Facing the best team in the world is a great opportunity to evaluate your progression, and to get to know our level of competitiveness too."

Satoransky said matching the Americans' energy level will be of utmost importance.

"We know we can have a good game against them, and we are going to play at our best level to try to make the game hard for them. We know it won't be easy, but we are going to put all of our energy to have a great game against Team USA," he said.

Still, Satoransky knows the Czechs' fate in China does not depend on the result of the first game. And the goal is clear.

"It's to try to go to the next round. We know that every game is key, and we are going to focus on the first round first in order to try to get things done one step at a time," he said.

"Our group is tough, but we know that we have the potential to go through the to next round by playing at our best level during every single game of the first round. In a competition like the FIBA World Cup, you have to respect every opponent and fight hard to win a game. So we have to play like each game is a Final, and win the most we can to have a long campaign."

"(CHINA) IS A GREAT PLACE TO HOST A TOURNAMENT LIKE THIS AND THE WORLD OF BASKETBALL IS GOING TO HAVE ALL ITS EYES ON THE COUNTRY FOR THE COMPETITION."- Satoransky

Satoransky insisted also that the team will be ready to head to China with the excitement of having a chance to do something no one in the country has done before.

"We are all very motivated to make our fellow compatriots proud and make them love basketball more and more. It's very important for all of us to make the best out of the opportunity to compete in the world stage," he said.

And Satoransky expects the FIBA World Cup to be a great show for the globe.

"I am sure that the tournament is going to be very good, as the fans, the arenas and a lot of people in China love basketball," he said. "It's a great place to host a tournament like this and the world of basketball is going to have all its eyes on the country for the competition."

FIBA