The Bahamas’ nationwide group has an opportunity to make historical past. It has introduced three NBA gamers (Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon), top-of-the-line gamers within the loaded 2025 NBA Draft class (the 18-year-old V.J. Edgecomb, who will play for Baylor subsequent season), one other participant with latest NBA expertise (Kai Jones) and an NBA coach (Chris DeMarco, an assistant on Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors employees) to the Olympic Qualifying Match in Valencia, Spain. It might be the primary Bahamian group to qualify for the Olympic Video games.
To take action, although, it should win all the OQT. And that doubtless means beating Spain. In Spain.
The Spanish nationwide group has not didn’t qualify for the Olympic Video games since 1996. Within the intervening years, Spain has medaled at three Olympics (silver in 2008 and 2012, bronze in 2016) and received gold on the FIBA World Cup twice (2006, 2019). The Gasols have retired, and neither Ricky Rubio nor Jose Calderon is operating the present anymore, however there are nonetheless loads of acquainted faces on the roster this summer time. Rudy Fernandez, Santi Aldama, Sergio Llull, Usman Garuba, Juancho Hernangomez, Willy Hernangomez and Lorenzo Brown are all collaborating, as is Juan Nunez, the 20-year-old drafted No. 36 by the San Antonio Spurs final week.
Spain blew out Lebanon by a rating of 104-59 on Tuesday and beat Angola by a rating of 89-81 on Wednesday, clinching a spot within the semifinals on Saturday. The Bahamas superior, too, with back-to-back wins towards Finland and Poland. On Wednesday, Edgecombe scored a team-high 21 factors on 7-for-13 capturing, of their 90-81 win towards Poland.
By ending the group-play stage on the prime of their respective teams, Spain and the Bahamas are on a collision course. In the event that they maintain enterprise on Saturday, they may meet within the finals on Sunday, with an Olympic berth on the road.
