ESP – Aito all smiles as Spain look to reign in China

CADIZ (Olympics) – Aito Garcia Reneses, the recently appointed coach of Spain’s national team, couldn’t be happier.

The former DKV Joventut boss, embarking on one of the biggest challenges of his coaching career, has arguably the most talented squad in the country’s history and will be hoping the team achieves great things at the Beijing Games.

In Cadiz, where Spain are training for the Olympics, Garcia Reneses said: "This is a good generation of players who are very good individually and as a team.

“They know how to be team-mates and from that point of view, it´s a delight to coach a team that has this attitude.”

Most of the players in the squad celebrated a world title triumph two years ago in Japan, and last year’s silver medal success at the EuroBasket in Madrid.

Ricky Rubio, 17, who played for Garcia at DKV, and veteran playmaker Raul Lopez of Real Madrid have made this year’s squad in place of Sergio Rodriguez and Carlos Cabezas.

"I see the team really well although Pau Gasol and Jose Calderon still have to join the team,” Garcia Reneses said.

“We are preparing offensive and defensive tactics right now.”

Spain will have a lot of friendlies to use as warm-up games for the Olympics.

“I want to get the players in good shape in order to take advantage of our first games and then we will try to introduce other things like transitions to our game,” he said.

"I hope to have the entire group available on July 13 in order to prepare for our first game (July 18 v Portugal)."

Calderon, Spain’s best player at last summer’s EuroBasket where the team won a silver medal, and the ACB’s MVP this year, Marc Gasol, will travel to the North America on Tuesday.

Calderon is working on a new deal with the Toronto Raptors while Gasol is expected to sign for Memphis, the team that acquired his rights when trading his brother, Pau Gasol, in mid-season to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Pau Gasol will join the national team on Tuesday.

Spain will play at the Extremadura (Spain) Tournament against Portugal on July 18 in Badajoz.

After Portugal take on Russia in Caceres the following day, Spain will face the Russians – the team that beat them in the gold medal game of last year’s EuroBasket in Madrid – on July 20 also in Caceres.

The Spanish will then face Argentina in a friendly in Madrid on July 22 before traveling to the north of the country to go up against Lithuania and Argentina in Orense on July 24 and 26, respectively, before meeting Croatia on July 28 in Zaragoza.

Garcia Reneses’s team will finish their preparation games against Latvia in Castellon on July 30 before flying to China on August 2.

FIBA