“It’s not realistic to continue playing at this age.”

This week’s MVP was the clear protagonist of Joventut’s recent victory on the courts of San Pablo Burgos this Sunday. But what is shocking is that he made it to the podium of the historic ACB rating ranking. With 39 credits, Ante Tomic (Dubrovnik, 1987) overtook Granger Hall for a career total of 9,490 credits, behind only Felipe Reyes (10,599) and Alberto Herreros (9,699).

What does it mean to consistently be in the top three in terms of valuation?

That’s incredible. It means many things. First of all, I’m very proud and very happy. This is an accomplishment in a fairly long career in this league, something not many players have been able to accomplish before. And that’s something I’m very proud of.

During your career, have you often looked at the numbers to see where you are in the rankings?

No, not really. Yes, these days, because there’s a lot of talk now about records and numbers…

So, yeah…it’s a big thing now, right?

Yes, it’s obvious, but not so much at first. I can’t say I’m aiming for them, but looking at it now, I see that it’s very important to have something like that.

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Ahead of them are Felipe Reyes and Alberto Herreros. I think Herreros is achievable, right?

Yes, if everything goes well, I think we can achieve it.

He recently commented that he will play this season as per his contract and that next season will be his last. Is that the case?

It is true that I said that, yes. When my contract ends, I think it will be my last season. But I don’t know, I don’t know…

If Felipe Reyes is around, maybe we can extend it…

No, I don’t think it’s possible… (lol) But what’s more important than the numbers is whether you feel good or not. And if not…well, I’m also a few years old, because it’s not realistic to continue playing at this age, right?

In his case, he spent eight years at Barça, but if he fulfills his contract here it will be seven years… How important was it to have stability, which is very rare in today’s basketball?

Super important. I’ve always said that my priority in life is my family and my wife and daughters are out there somewhere because it’s important to them and to me. I think it’s important to maintain this sense of stability without moving or making major changes to your lifestyle. And the truth is that I’m very happy.

That left him with potentially more lucrative or attractive options…

Yes, there was a choice, especially after Barça. Well, as has been the case in recent years, I don’t think there’s any point in chasing money or anything else at this stage of life.

In an era where we need mobile, high-jumping, physical centers, there are still players (like Jokic in the NBA, or like you) who are good at technique, good passers, and good scorers, and they still have an edge.

Many teams have a traditional center. It’s true that some teams specifically want players who can help out defensively or offensive players who can shoot from the outside, but I think in the game 10, 15 years ago you could always find players with good footwork in the paint.

How is your experience as a tutor with Michael Ruzic? What future does he see?

Everything depends on him. Above all, he is a very good kid, well educated and very hardworking, as he spends all his time on the court and in the gym… and all this will make him grow. Where can I go? It’s unclear. Unfortunately he has been plagued by injuries in recent years and the only thing I want for him is that he stays healthy and continues to develop, nothing more.

Is this the best Joventut in years?

At the level of results, yes, I think so. But on a human level, on the level of people who are part of this group, it is clear.

There’s a lot of talk about Ricky Rubio and people are very excited about it, but every new player that arrives is contributing.

Yes, yes. Everyone contributes and this is the strength of Joventut this year. That everyone knows their role to a greater or lesser extent. There are still players we need… I don’t know, I don’t want to put too much pressure on anyone, but they need to take another step to help the team, but the role is clear.

The other day, someone on social media said that the combination of Ricky and Tomic should be made a World Heritage Site. What did it mean to you to play with him?

For a center, having a leading point guard, a point guard who understands the game and wants to make his teammates better, is very important. Ricky is a top point guard because he knows when to score, when to pass, when to control the pace…he just controls the game, the match. And it’s much easier to play with players who will help you a lot in everything.

Recently, it was revealed that the Final Four of the Champions League will be held here in Badalona. What excitement or extra motivation does your team need before it arrives?

With the changes to the competition this summer, our goal was, and still is, to go for it without knowing where it will be played. We’ve already accomplished our first goal of playing in a cup game, and now we’ll move on to the second, third, and ultimately the Final Four and winning the championship. absolutely. Now I say it. I think we have a strong team, a team that can accomplish this. It will take a little bit of luck and a lot of things to achieve that, but I think we have the ability.