ESP - The hard work pays off for San Emeterio

VITORIA (Olympics) – It’s no small feat to earn a spot in Spain’s national team.

When you look at the players at the disposal of this great basketball nation, the competition is fierce.

Spain have won a world title in 2006 and the last two EuroBasket gold medals.

They reached the Final of the 2008 Olympics.

Their players are household names for any fan of the sport.

There are EuroBasket 2011 MVP Juan Carlos Navarro, Serge Ibaka, Rudy Fernandez and Pau and Marc Gasol.

Fernando San Emeterio, due in large part to his excellence with Baskonia and especially in 2009-10 when he teamed up with Tiago Splitter, Marcelo Huertas and Mirza Teletovic to capture the ACB title, got his chance to play for Spain at the World Championship in Turkey.

He was in the squad last year, too, when the national side defended its EuroBasket crown.

San Emeterio now hopes to be in the squad at the Olympics.

He spoke to FIBA.com.

FIBA: Fernando, we saw you play a big role for Akasvayu Girona back in 2007, when the club won the EuroCup, and your career seems to have been going up and up ever since. Are you living a dream right now?

San Emeterio: “Not a dream but, I am where I always wanted to be, in a big club, fighting for titles and important things. But you always have to keep your feet firmly on the ground. I am aware of the hard work it has taken me to get here. The difficult thing is not to arrive but to maintain the level.”

FIBA: You’ve played for some great coaches like Svetislav Pesic, Dusko Ivanovic, Manuel Comas and Pedro Martinez. What does it say about you that these men have always given you a lot of minutes on the court?

San Emeterio: “I am a worker and the coaches value that. I've been fortunate to have very good coaches and each one teaches you something. You have to be smart to learn things from the coach and that is the most important thing.”

FIBA: The highlight of your career, the most important moment – was it making the shot at the buzzer in overtime against Barcelona to give Baskonia the 2010 ACB title?

San Emeterio: "Yes, certainly. Everyone remembers that moment and so do I. It was my first league title and the manner in which we won, was incredible. I hope many moments like that will come.”

FIBA: Now you’re an important member of the Spanish national team and have a shot of playing at the Olympics for the first time. What about the prospect of going to London?

San Emeterio: "To be able to play at the Olympics is my next dream to complete. Everyone loves to play at the Games and if it is with a national team like Spain, with so many high level players and it's so difficult to make it into the team - I'm just proud to be a member.”

FIBA: What do you think about the USA preliminary squad, and the potential team that the defending Olympic champions will have?

San Emeterio: "It's going to be very difficult to beat Team USA. But there are also other good teams out there and I think it will be difficult to repeat the silver of the Olympics in Beijing. We will try.”

FIBA: Can Spain be just as special as they were in 2008 (Beijing) and last year when you won the EuroBasket title in Lithuania? Those were great Spanish teams that maybe could win the gold medal in London. You never know, right?

San Emeterio: "Yes, you never know. We will try, we will work very hard. We are all very enthusiastic with the upcoming Olympics. But you cannot think of the final before you get there. Before that there is a challenging path we must follow. We have to be patient and take it one step at a time."

Where is the gold medal from the EuroBasket last year. Do you have it with you right now?

San Emeterio: "(Smiles) No, I have the gold medal from the EuroBasket put away at home."

FIBA