REYKJAVIK (Iceland) - Prior to 2021, the Reykjanes Peninsula near Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, had experienced no volcanic activity for 800 years.
Since then, however, the volcanoes have made a dramatic return, with increasingly flashy displays. In recent days, their eruptions have significantly impacted the area, almost as if aiming to leave a lasting impression.
Earth made its statement, while on Thursday night, beautiful green and light blue shades illuminated the sky upon Reykjavik. The Northern Lights wanted to be featured too, dressing up for a special occasion.
The following night, in front of a packed crowd in Laugardalsholl, the Icelandic national team wanted to live one of those brightest nights. Playing at their tempo, in their glacial and flaming territory, just like they did back in February 2022 – against the same opponents.
"We went into that game with no pressure," says Elvar Fridriksson, recalling that astonishing double overtime win over the Azzurri. "We played our style of basketball, and that caught Italy a little bit off guard. It was one of our best games in the last few years," the Icelandic guard follows.
Hafnarfjordur's Ithrottamidstod Asvellir was the location of a memorable night. That's when Iceland was really dreaming about a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Thanks to a giant down the paint.
"He changes our team completely," Martin Hermannsson - who couldn't be featured in Friday's game due to injury - says about Tryggvi Hlinason. Two years ago, he dominated with 34 points and 21 points over Italy. "We don't have anybody like him. He's the best big man a point guard can ask for," he continues.
That 107-105 win was one for the ages for Iceland, dreaming of becoming the smallest nation to make it to the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Fast forward, we know that ultimately it didn't turn into reality.
Let's hope the third time's the charm because this team deserves to qualify for EuroBasket 2025.
Another dream - getting one more victory over Italy - was shattered on Friday, as Gianmarco Pozzecco's team came out on top 95-71. But standing in third position in Group B of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, they have all the chances to return to such a landscape.
One shot away from the FIBA Basketball World Cup
To really dig into Iceland's eagerness to make a comeback to the brightest scenes, we need to come back to the moment when the first dream completely fell off. To be precise, in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The "Strákarnir Okkar" - our boys, in the local language - needed to win by four or more points to mathematically qualify for the competition. They would have been the smallest European nation there.
With five seconds on the clock, Elvar Fridriksson - who was having himself a night with 25 points on 9-of-9 shooting at the line and 2-of-5 from deep - had the shot to extend Iceland's lead to 83-77. A shot for the World Cup.
"It's stuck in your memory. When you have that big of an opportunity, you can basically do it once in your lifetime when you come from Iceland. I'm not gonna lie: it was not easy to deal with it afterward, because I disappointed so many people and myself," the 30-year-old guard thinks back at it.
Iceland's despair corresponded in equal parts to Georgia's excitement, qualifying for the first time for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. After not making it to FIBA EuroBasket 2022, that was another missed chance for Iceland.
"Trying to work my way out of that took a lot mentally, and I hope I dealt with it the right way and was able to get out of that. It's just a game and that's part of it. I was the one who was trusted to take that shot," he adds.
Moreover, without Elvar Fridriksson, Iceland would have never been in that position.
That's the story of this team for the last couple of years: we're always this close. But we're giving ourselves a chance to be at EuroBasket 2025.
Without Martin Hermannsson's contribution, as the Icelandic superstar was ruled out with a torn ACL, he was the go-to guy for his country, averaging 20.7 points per game throughout the qualifying stage.
"Our best player, who had pretty much dominated before that, got a shot with the chance to win. Sometimes it goes in, sometimes it goes out," Martin Hermannsson says about his brotherhood teammate, with whom he also shared a one-year college experience with the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds.
Squeezing the best out of this generation
That road to Tbilisi saw Iceland beating Italy at home, winning twice against the Netherlands, getting the upper hand over Ukraine, and losing against Georgia only by three points against. Not bad at all, right?
Especially considering Iceland's background results. Both at FIBA EuroBasket 2015 and FIBA EuroBasket 2017, the Icelandic national team couldn't win a single game in their group, finishing with a 0-5 record twice.
Now, prior to their second game against Italy in Group B of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, they have already beat Hungary at home and lost only at the buzzer to Türkiye, as Tarik Biberovic turned a fadeaway shot into perfection.
"That's the story of this team for the last couple of years: we're always this close," Fridriksson affirms. "But we're giving ourselves a chance to be at EuroBasket 2025."
"Let's hope the third time's the charm because this team deserves to qualify for EuroBasket 2025," Hermannsson follows.
The 30-year-old underlines how tough it is for them. "I've been [at the EuroBasket] twice already and as an Icelander, I think that's not something common. We are having one of our golden eras now, but we're not Italy or Serbia, where you can just go into whatever gym and find a great basketball player. It's harder for us," he says.
"If I quit, or Elvar [Fridriksson] quits, we are hard to replace. We have been playing at the highest level, and we have those real talents coming out every 10-15 years. We're trying to squeeze everything out of this gold generation. And we need to keep building," says Hermannsson.
"It's 40 minutes and we're doing it just for the pride and for the honor. And when you leave everything on the floor, you can't ask for anything more. That's the main reason why we've been successful. We need to share this with the next generation too," Fridriksson adds.
When you play for the national team, it's a different feeling. I felt emotions and excitement that I haven't felt in many, many years.
Martin Hermannsson believes the same.
"When you play for the national team, it's a different feeling," he says, recalling his emotions when returning to the court with Iceland against Hungary, in February. "I felt emotions and excitement that I haven't felt in many, many years," he says, embracing the whole mentality behind the team.
Even if they can't hand Italy an upset in their second meeting of the window in Reggio Emilia, Iceland is fueling its ambitions as volcano eruptions
Even if they can't spring an upset on Italy in their second meeting of the qualifying campaign in Reggio Emilia, Iceland's ambitions are erupting like its volcanoes, shining brightly toward the future. The Northern Lights are illuminating their path back to FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
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