VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor’s Eurovision) - You never get tired of watching David beat Goliath, or seeing the sort of thing that happened this summer when the unheralded Netherlands national team qualified for the EuroBasket.

The Netherlands are European minnows that swam upstream and avoided being swallowed up by bigger sides to make it to the tournament for the first time since 1989.

If you like those moments when the hair stands up on the back of your neck, look back at the highlights of the 68-55 Dutch win over Montenegro on 27 August that punched their ticket to next summer’s 24-team event.

Watch as the Netherlands’ 2.10m power forward Roeland Schaftenaar has one of the finest games of his national team career, a 14-point, eight-rebound performance.

Check out the gritty play of Arvin Slagter, whose 15 points led the Dutch in scoring that night in Leiden.

Nearly three months later and the Netherlands players are still living in that moment.

"It’s been awesome, a little bit of euphoria, even," Slagter told me this week. 

"It’s been a long time since the Dutch team has been on a platform like the European Championships. 

"It’s been a great thing for Dutch basketball."

Israel and the Netherlands each qualified with 4-2 records from Group B ahead of Montenegro (3-3) and Bulgaria (1-5).

The Netherlands were once regulars at European Championships.

They first played in the Final Round in 1946 and then made appearances in 1947, '49 and '51.

The Netherlands featured again in European Championships in 1961, '63, and '67.

The coach of the national team now, Toon van Helfteren, is the most capped player in national team history with 207 games played.

He played for the Dutch team at the European Championships in 1975, '79 and '87.

"Toon is someone who has been into basketball for decades," Slagter said. "He has been on both sides. Some coaches have only been coaches, but he played, too.

"He has been a player, a player at a high level and has been at European Championships himself. He’s a guy who knows basketball and has been perfect for this team."

Van Helfteren, now 63, seems to have a clear understanding of how the national team can be competitive.

"Toon allowed us to jell, but on the other hand, to get the best out of us," Slagter said. 

"He was very clear from the start, that we were going to have to play defense because we do not have the offensive threats that other teams have. But if we can limit teams to around 60 points, then we can win every game.

"He told us that as long as you make the right plays, play as a team and play hard on both ends of the court, we had a chance. He always made us believe, too, that we can accomplish something. And it all panned out." 

The Netherlands’ best-ever finish was fourth in 1983 when the European Championship was held in France.

Who knows how they’re going to do at the EuroBasket? Good results would help keep the momentum going for the sport in the country.

Fans of the sports in the Netherlands are in store for an exciting 2015.

Jeff Taylor

FIBA

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