Nice little article, but I do recall the Gasoul brothers having an impact on the Olympic team, NBA players really stood out...

Regardless, it seems we could all take a leaf out of the Espania book of junior coaching!

Really though, if you swapped Australia for Spain in the bits about junior development and culture I dont think the article would be out of place.

Spain have more of a passion for basketball and confidence in their own ability. I think Aussie basketball suffers from a bit of an inferiority complex to a fair extent.

Too right Paul too right. Its rare Aussies have a bit of swagger and self belief about there basketball, and when they do it really shows

Absolutely agree Paul. We haven't had balls and swagger for a decade. Which is why we have been so bad offensively in that time frame on the international level, and in the last couple of years, the NBL as well. I think it's widespread in the sport.

There are very few guys in the NBL who relish the spotlight, love a bit of trash talking and being the man these days. We are too meek.

You look at those athletic wings that have had come through like Barlow, Newley, Ingles; even guys still in the NBL with similar games like Todd Blanchfield, and what is the one thing missing from their game? Swagger. They are great players, but they aren't going to be "the man" on any team. They are just great, great role players.

Aggression and swagger. They are so intangible but they are the things missing from our national basketball mindset.

Our junior teams have too many robots, not enough players that have a bit of flair are picked for national teams. Some of these are at college where they are allowed to show their abilities.

I would say part of their success lies in their cultural roots.

Spanish people are big on family and the meaning of togetherness.

So when they come together in a team setting, they are really united and players play for the team and not themselves. (Try hard to think of a selfish Spanish basketball player..not one player crosses my mind..Gasols, Fernandez, Rudy, Calderon, Navarro)

Difference here is the football culture and how juniors are selected for state basketball teams, only to leave and play football, thus leaving the void in developing the kid who wants to only hoop.

In Spain, I don't see that they can have such a problem, especially with their bigger players. I mean, they are caught early and developed as hoopsters without that fear of losing the kids to soccer or football like we do here...

How many times have we seen a kid not picked for a state team who is a genuine basketball player only to have his spot taken by a kid slightly better developed at an earlier age, but always going to go to footy?

Also, the distances we have to cover here compared with the proximity to coaches and facilities in Spain means our logistics alone hinders development at national level.

Very hard to ask kids to travel the distances we need to in order to have continuity for coaching a national team compared with the short trips in a small Euro country like Spain.

More like Tasmania, so state level comparison...

Australia v Spain?

Our women's teams (u17-Snr) measure up pretty damn well.

Our men's teams are also pretty handy...

U17 Men Silver
U19 Men 4th
WUG Men Silver

Where have Spain finished at these world championships?

Australia are 5th in the overall FIBA rankings (both men, woman, u19, etc.). They were second for a long time. So yes, Australia do measure up well.

I suppose what this article shows and what the amazing thing about Spain's basketball teams is that they have unbelievable depth.

There is 5 leagues/divisions in Spain, all with amazing talent. So much so that DeVries played in the second tier LEB for a season.

DeVries played a year in the second league in Australia as well (SEABL with NWTas)

Imports often play in lower leagues if the offer is right.