ARG - Looking forward is Herrmann's motto

MALAGA (FIBA World Championship) - Walter Herrmann has been riding an emotional rollercoaster in recent years.

He had enjoyed plenty of success on the court but that has been overshadowed by personal tragedy.

Tempted to quit the game after losing the three most important women in his life in a car accident in July 2003, the 26-year-old forward decided to push himself and kept on living through basketball.

In an exclusive interview with PA Sport’s Cindy Garcia-Bennett on behalf of FIBA, the 2004 Olympic Champion with Argentina talks about the new challenges in his career, overcoming the deepest grief and learning to look to the future with optimism.

FIBA: Congratulations Walter, on playing in your first FIBA World Championship in Japan later this year after being included in Argentina's 12-man provisional squad. What are your thoughts looking forward to the tournament?

Herrmann: It's a great satisfaction to represent your country, I think it's a dream come true for any player. Sometimes you don't value it as much when you are actually involved in a tournament but as time goes by, the significance of what you achieve hits you. As a player you know the sacrifices you have done, the hard work you put in throughout the year so it gives me a lot of joy to be a part of the national team again. It's going to be difficult to earn a starting place in the team in Japan because every player has proved in their respective teams and competitions their worth. I know that everyone will have to work hard in training in order to earn a place in the team.

FIBA: You were a member of the Argentina side that won gold in Athens. How has your life changed since becoming an Olympic champion?

Herrmann: That was the most beautiful experience of my career. It is the maximum that a sportsman can aspire to and when the final game ended, I was overcome with joy. That medal has a lot of value to me and right now it's in a security box in a bank in Spain. They are keeping it safe for me! Last year when I went back to Argentina, many of my friends wanted to see it but I didn't think it was safe to take it home.

FIBA: Two years on from that success in Athens, how confident are you going into the tournament in Japan?

Herrmann: Winning in Athens gave me a big boost in confidence. Experience definitely gives you more self-belief. I still know that I have to work hard every day because there are many talented youngsters that can take your place and I have to keep on working regardless of the titles I have achieved.

FIBA: Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez has included eight players from the gold-medal winning Olympic team in Athens in his pre-selection squad. How will Argentina build on that experience in Japan?

Herrmann: I think we have a lot of options in Japan. Of course, in such a difficult competition as the World Championship is, it's difficult to choose a favourite side. it really boils down to the team that is in the best form at the tournament and not necessarily the team that has the best players.

FIBA: Is Team USA the team to beat in Japan and do you think they will be better prepared for the tournament following their disappointment in Athens where you beat them in the semi-final and they finished third?

Herrmann: I think Team USA has changed it's mentality in recent years. Before, they could send any team to an international tournament and win it. Nowadays, it's very different. World basketball has gone from strength to strength and they will face opposition in Japan.

FIBA: Argentina will face a battle right from the start as they are in Group A of August's event in Japan, alongside reigning champions Serbia & Montenegro, France, Nigeria, Venezuela and Lebanon. Serbia & Montenegro, in fact, beat Argentina in overtime at the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis four years ago.

Herrmann: "We know the challenge it's going to be for us to progress to the second round because we know that even any team, regardless of their name and history, will be complicated. Players have an added incentive to play above their best level when they are representing their country in such a prestigious tournament. Therefore, no game will be easy."

FIBA: Your countryman, Tau Ceramica point guard Pablo Prigioni, has also been included in the pre-selection squad but is doubtful for the tournament with a viral infection. Prigioni was included in the ACB ideal side in the regular season. How important is Prigioni for Argentina?

Herrmann: We know Pablo's quality. I hope that his current illness will not affect him and that he will be able to play with us in Japan. He has had a great season for Tau but (laughing) I prefer him to recover for the national team and not for the ACB play-offs. Tau are very difficult rivals! (Both Tau and Unicaja held 2-0 leads in their respective play-off semi-finals at the time this interview was published).

FIBA: You have enjoyed your best campaign with Unicaja this season, averaging 12 points and four rebounds per game in the ACB. Are you satisfied with your performances?

Herrmann: I feel very comfortable with my game and I also feel well physically. I think the fact that we were given a break from the national team last summer has helped all the players. I am still polishing certain defects and I can still improve on many things but I am confident about my game. I think little by little, I have improved a lot on my defensive play and I feel more solid in defence.

FIBA: One aspect of your game which has improved has been your perimeter shooting. You were the fifth best three-point shooter in the regular season and with the play-off games included, you are hitting 40% from the arc.

Herrmann: This year I feel more confident with my outside shot than in previous years. If you work, you are bound to improve.

FIBA: Unicaja have taken a 2-0 lead in their ACB play-off semi-final against DKV Joventut. Having won the Copa del Rey last season, and having finished top of the regular season standings this year, has the time come for Unicaja Malaga to be crowned Spanish champions?

Herrmann: We are focused on winnning the semi-finals for the time being. There's a lot of expectation, more than in previous campaigns, and we have the ambition to reach the final. It's very difficult because we face a complicated rival. Joventut started the league irregularly but they have played a great second round, not only in the Spanish competition but also in the FIBA EuroCup. We expect a difficult challenge but we are prepared for everything that comes along.

FIBA: This summer you will become a free agent with your contract with Unicaja Malaga ending later this month. Have you decided what you want to do next?

Herrmann: It's true, for the first time in my career I will be out of contract with my club. I will evaluate what my options are after the end of the season.

FIBA: Argentinians like Manu Ginobili and Andres Nocioni have been big hits in the NBA with San Antonio and Chicago, respectively. It was interesting, Walter, that at the Olympics in the semi-final against the USA, you had a terrific game with 11 points in just 14 minutes. Are you going to follow in the footsteps of Manu and Andres?

Herrmann: I would love to go to the NBA. One always has the dream of playing in the strongest league in the world and if that opportunity comes along, I will take it. But I don't lose any sleep over it. The Spanish league has nothing to envy with respect to the United States, the organisation here is fantastic and we play at a very high level.

FIBA: You joined ACB side Fuenlabrada in 2002. How hard was it to adapt to the Spanish competition and to life in Spain?

Herrmann: At the beginning, it was hard to leave my family, friends. We are similar countries but there are still differences in terms of lifestyle. This is my fourth year in Spain and one adapts to everything. The treatment I have received in the past four years has been wonderful and that makes my life more comfortable here.

FIBA: You were the rookie of the year in the Argentinian league in the 1998-99 campaign, which earned you a place in the national team at the PanAmerican Games in 1999. You were voted most valuable player in Argentina's domestic league in the 2000-01 season. What made you decide to cross the Atlantic, leave your country and play in Spain?

Herrmann: Spanish basketball is very competitive, whether your rivals are the top team or the bottom team in the league, they can still beat you. Every game is complicated and that's the challenge, in this league you are competing against the best players in the world.

FIBA: In a nation that is known for their passion for football, why did you decide to play basketball?

Herrmann: I started to play basketball at the age of six, driven by my grandfather, who loved the sport. I was also tall as a child so that helped. Although most of my friends played football, I grew to like basketball and luckily, I kept it up.

FIBA: Which players did you look up to when growing up and which player do you admire most now?

Herrmann: I grew up watching Michael Jordan but I really admire Dirk Nowitzki. He is a complete player in every sense and it's great to watch him play.

FIBA: Walter, you have experienced a lot of tragedy in your life. In 2003, you lost your mother, your sister and your fiancee in a car accident in Argentina and exactly one year later, your father passed away. How do you cope with such grief?

Herrmann: One always looks ahead, thanks to the support of family and friends. It depends on the person, some people struggle more than others. Things have certainly changed, I don't believe in anything anymore. Faith is the first thing you lose because you think back at all the things you did as a child, such as go to church, be baptised, do your communion, and you realise it hasn't served for anything. The number one person that has helped me to carry on has been my sister. We've gone through the same thing and we've helped each other out (Herrmann’s sister moved to Spain after the accident). Little by little, we have recovered our strength and continue living. We've managed to overcome that low point together. I try to think about the future and what's next and not look back because if you do that, you are lost.

FIBA: How difficult was to get back on a court?

Herrmann: When the accident happened, I really considered leaving basketball. It seemed stupid to carry on because I played for my family and after the accident, I had no motivation whatsoever. I admit I still find it difficult today to find that extra incentive that I had when I played prior to the accident. I see things different now, I assume things as they are. Basketball helps me not to think about those things. It is a demanding sport, you train a lot, you travel a lot and you play many games, it's a distraction.

FIBA: Good luck with the rest of the season and we look forward to seeing you in Japan.

PA Sport
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