William-Rosario-Column
27/09/2014
William Rosario's Somewhere in the Americas
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Mexico gone rogue

SAN JUAN (William Rosario's Somewhere in the Americas) - Basketball in Mexico has been on an accelerated rise over the last few years.

It all started in 2011 with a second-place finish at the Panamerican Games, then two years later with winning the continental crown at the FIBA Americas Championship, this year standing on the top step of the podium at the Centrobasket and reached its high point last month with their second round exit in a very good showing at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

These achievements have awakened an interest for the sport that was non-existent throughout the country. Media finally started covering the team and more importantly fans have made their presence felt in the last events held in Mexico.

When the Trophy Tour of the FIBA Basketball World Cup visited Mexico City in May of this year, the festivities opened up with a historic press conference that was attended by basically every major media outlet in the country.

I can vividly remember national team player Pedro Meza turning to me at one point of what seemed like an eternal round of media questions to confess: "I've never seen anything like this for basketball before. I cannot believe there are so many people here."

The dream was finally realized… people were paying attention.

This newfound interest for basketball in the country was confirmed months later in August in Tepic, Nayarit at the Centrobasket, when the national team games were sold out every night in a 10,000-seat arena.

One milestone led to the other.

In the middle of the tournament, the President of Mexico, Mr Enrique Pena Nieto himself announced that the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship would be played in Monterrey.

Everything seemed to fall in place for Mexico. Achievements met with rewards.

If you study the team's magical run, you'll find out that there have been two constant names and key figures for Mexicco.

First, Gustavo Ayon, the great Mexican center that has become a dominant force in international basketball, and second, coach Sergio Valdeolmillos, who seemed to have had figured out the formula of success for this national team.

So we were all shocked and disgusted when this past Wednesday it was announced that Valdeolmillos would not continue at the helm of the Mexican team. In his place, Bill Cartwright (yes, former Chicago Bulls center Cartwright) was announced as the new coach.

Unbelievable.

Valdeolmillos leaves the team after a 19-8 record in official competitions, with two titles and a second-place finish. He also leaves after qualifying the team to its first World Cup appearance in 40 years and a more than respectable showing in it that ended up with Mexico making it to the Final Phase (ending up with a 14th place finish), eliminated by the eventual champs USA in a competitive affair. By far the most accomplished run by a coach in the history of Mexican basketball.

The Spaniard did what no other could by installing an offensive system that had discipline, patience and ball movement as key elements. On defense, they relied on energy, communication and a physicality that worn down the majority of the teams in the Americas. Unheard of in the Mexican basketball landscape. He installed a winning mentality.
 
Further proof is the fact that in 2012, after the second place at the Pan Am games, Valdeolmillos wasn't brought back for that year's Centrobasket and the team regressed in an awful performance that did not even qualified them to the Semi-Finals. He was immediately brought back and the rest is history.

He is now succeeded by Cartwright, a man with zero experience as head coach (and player for that matter) at the international level. His overall head coach curriculum is comprised of a 21-48 record with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA and a 17-11 record in the Ossaka Evessa team in the Japan league.

Hmm. The only question on everybody's mind is… why? It just doesn't make any basketball sense. But maybe (and sadly)… this is not about basketball.

If there's anything that has been clear about my columns here is that I don't partake in the political dance and I'm definitely not about to start. I won't enter the "he said, she said" aspect of this situation and frankly I don't care.

So I'll just say this: it is a shame how things have gone down in Mexico this week. Coaching changes happen every day and they are definitely a part of the sport, but this one left a bitter taste in all of us fans of basketball in the Americas.

The day of the press conference, the Mexican Olympic Committee sent out a tweet that can be translated as follows: "We don't owe Sergio Valdeolmillos @servamo a fifth".

This cryptic message may be referring to a money issue and again, I'll stay out of that one. But if this is actually referring to his worth as a head coach… whoever wrote the tweet is wrong and Valdeolmillos deserves better.

If he is out, he is out, but at least respect a man that will forever be linked to the biggest successes the country has had in their basketball history.

The Cartwright era begins next year at a continental championship in which Mexico will play as home team in front of 18,000 fans with qualification to the 2016 Rio Olympics at stake. They have not competed in the basketball tournament in the Games in 40 years. With Valdeolmillos at the helm they seemed poised to once again make history in ending that drought.

Now, with Ayon publically stating that he is going to think about continuing to play for the national team (after the firing of Valdeolmillos), they are in danger of losing that other constant name in the magical run. That loss would be irreparable.

Big shoes to fill, Bill. Big shoes...

William Rosario

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.

William Rosario

William Rosario

If you want the jet-lagged musings of a guy who spends half the year living basketball in the Americas right there in the organisational trenches of the continent's senior and youth championships, along with the South American and FIBA Americas League, then this column is definitely for you. William Rosario, FIBA Americas Communications Director by day and filmmaker by night (some nights), joins FIBA's team of columnists from around the world to bring you "Somewhere in the Americas".