PARIS (George Eddy's International Show) - In front of record-breaking crowds and TV audiences, Spain reclaimed the top spot on the European basketball totem pole behind magnificent performances by their dominating leader and all-time great, Pau Gasol.

At 35 years old, when most players would be waning, Pau is more powerful than ever, taking a Spanish team that was missing his brother Marc and best buddy Juan Carlos Navarro, to a new EuroBasket title and direct qualification for the Olymics in Rio. By mastering Lithuania from start to finish in the Final, Spain are once again the undisputed champions of Europe.

After the frustration of losing to France at home in last summer's FIBA Basketball World Cup, Pau's boys got sweet revenge and ruined France's dream of a repeat EuroBasket title by winning their Semi-Final in front of nearly 27,000 fans in Lille. 

It was a painful show-stopper for the Tony Parker generation looking for an apotheosis victory and spot in Rio. By scoring 40 points - half of Spain's total - and making 16 of 18 free throws, Gasol was unstoppable, even for Rudy Gobert, one of the NBA's best defenders.

In a bizarre turn of fate, the French coach, Vincent Collet, decided to change his substitution pattern against Spain, overplaying his trio of NBA stars - Parker, Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum - who combined for a paltry 9 for 38 shooting and who looked exhausted on defense in the money time.

The energy and efficiency of France's bench that permitted them to wear down opponents and to go undefeated up to then, were left by the wayside, as the coach became conservative and played his starters nearly 40 minutes each. The problem was that they were used to playing only 25 minutes a game!

On the opposing bench, it was a triumphant return for Sergio Scariolo, who knows better than anyone how to get the most out of Pau Gasol. France refused to double-team him, fearing his adroit passing and he picked apart their reputed defense like a surgeon.

The French were in the driver's seat (they led during 37 minutes of the game) and up by nine with 5:30 to go thanks to their top-rated defense, but as in the endgame of the 2012 Quarter-Final at the London Olympics, Spain locked in and produced stop after stop, playing their best defense of the tournament when it counted the most.

Pau was the pillar on defense too as he protected the rim and pushed France into forcing difficult outside shots.

Scariolo masterfully mixed up zone and man-to-man defenses, puzzling the French, while Diaw's teammates were painfully predictable throughout.

After the game, Parker was heavily criticized by the French media, which seems quite unfair for someone who has carried French basketball brilliantly on his shoulders for 15 years. He admitted that he hasn't been the same player since a serious hamstring injury lowered his performance level during the NBA season. He was probably in top shape too soon this summer and he wondered if he didn't put too much pressure on himself concerning the EuroBasket because he never was able to relax and find his habitual rhythm on the court.

Now a perilous path awaits Tony and his team through the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs) in early July 2016, just two weeks after the NBA Finals, in order to qualify for Rio.

After the third-place finish, Tony announced that he and his teammates would be back next summer to make a run at an Olympic spot but it will make for a tough calendar. Several countries are lobbying to put the OQTs later in July out of fear that some stars will be unavailable after a long season with their clubs.

Lithuania joyfully avoided that problem by eliminating favored Serbia in the other Semi-Final which qualified them directly for Rio. Serbia, the odds-on favorite to win EuroBasket 2015, were just as profoundly disappointed as the other favorite, France.

So went the emotional roller coaster at the EuroBasket 2015, a perfectly organized event which broke all records for popularity. As the dust settled, one incredibly durable, likeable and intelligent superstar stood alone above all the rest - Pau Gasol, unanimous MVP of the competiton as well as leading scorer, shot blocker and just maybe, the best European player ever!!

He was joined by the creative Sergio Rodriguez (his lieutenant), Nando De Colo, the best French player and finalists Jonas Valanciunas and Jonas Maciulis, the two best Lithuanians, on the All-tournament top 5 team.

In the end, Spain's fundamentally sound team with a rich tradition of shared experience and tactical excellence, overcame near elimination in the first round, thanks to their mental toughness, to once again reign supreme over European basketball. Bravo!

George Eddy

FIBA

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