From Barcelona with love, eh!

   Most of us DO HAVE goals in life. The (American) business model teaches us that this is how it supposed to be in a human’s life. Hard to argue, nevertheless, it’s not a must.

Several teams arrived here in Spain with a couple of ideas. The Americans and the Spaniards are here for one and only – the Sunday's game. Fine! This Spain generation deserved to be here as they are like the immortal team of Dalipagic, Delibasic, Cosic and Co from the seventies.

 The Americans learned the lesson from 2006 and I am O.K. with their approach.
 Here is the funny part though. Brazil came here for only one game as well. And, if the last two are going to scramble in order to be crowned, the South Americans were more than certain that the bronze medal game would be an easy promenade for them, especially, when their arch- rivals from Argentina were taken down. What bronze medal game? Not this time. You have to earn this. This can't be taken for granted.
I am very happy with the Serbian renaissance. This (great) basketball school did not deserve to play for the 8-12 place as it became the habit after Divac/Bodiroga generation’s was gone. Well done! Two perfect games in a row. Is Sasha Djordzevic going to break the rule of thumb? * Well, if Serbia wins bronze medal game rematch as it did four years ago against Lithuania (who came here for the bronze medal game as well, just not in such an arrogant way as others…), this would make him just a decent. He has balls**.  Even though his is a Lithuanian butcher, I liked him as a player…

Australia, oi-oi-oi! OMG!
AIRBNB… oh,oh,oh!
They got what they deserved. As the Aussies are very far from the remaining world and neither the fastest cab nor the Concord can get you with all of us together in time, you can’t know the very simple (sports) laws. If you lose with the bloody calculation in mind to get a weaker opponent, it’s not gonna work. Hey Lemanis, I/we have no issues with ravaging the change room after your defeat to Turkey. AIRBNB makes decent money from me and others, and they will pay the fines. You have to understand that it’s not your boys who lost the game against three time weaker Turkey. *** Basketball/sports gods handled this issue for all of us . Don’t piss in a church. There are cameras (now).

Slovenian fans! Slovenia hasn’t won anything and ever yet, but their fans should be crowned as the best in the world.  The entire world is amazed by the yellow/green and red army**** but the Slovenians introduced to the basketball world portable pubs, chants, etc. (All) of us are just the followers.

France (the true experts on the Spanish vine…?). Very decent country in all (team) games with the ball overall. However, not being a big fan of these David Vs Goliath fairy-tales, I don’t see them as a basketball superpower. Au revoir!

Have I missed anything?

Oh yes, where is #3 in world’s Rankings? *****

Well, Lietuva (for the second major tournament in a row) acts like they are shooting new episodes for “Exorcist” TV miniseries, where all 3+MM experts of this 3-MM tiny country have to suffer watching their play.   Other than the four minutes stretch in the Turkey game, there is nothing (at least for me) to be proud of. Generally speaking, it is result versus the process. Well, I like the process more...

Going to Madrid now for (kind of) formalities. ******

 *great player hasn’t become a great coach/referee yet.

**just a week before the tournament, he expelled from the team in a very combative way their C.Paul/J.Rose level player.

*** AUS-LTU quarterfinal would be an excellent spectacle…

****if you read till here, you know what I’m all about.

***** (you’re saying not yet…?). Well, don’t be blinded by that tunnel vision approach. With AGR and GRE down only France winning the World Cup would not put Lietuva in #3.

 ******this topic was written before the ESP-FRA ¼ game.