MADRID - Jose Luis Saez has looked back on his decade at the helm of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) with immense pride.

The FEB supremo, who was recently reelected as president, has reflected on events in the past 10 years and recalls that there have been many more highs than lows.

"Ten years of hard work and passion have passed," said Saez, who is also a member of FIBA's Central Board and Executive Committee.

"We developed many successful projects thanks to the efforts of a committed and professional team of players, coaches, referees, federation and club managers, national and international institutions, companies, fans and the media."

No federation in Europe has been as successful as Spain on the court in the Saez era.

In the youth categories, Spain's teams have usually been on the podium and often at the top.

At senior level, the men's and women's sides have have been huge successes.

The men's team, despite its Quarter-Final exit at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Madrid, has a firm grip on the No. 2 spot in the FIBA bwin World Ranking Men with 705 points, ahead of No. 3 Argentina (455 points), No. 4 Lithuania (447 points) and No. 5 France (360 points).

The golden generation that includes true greats like the Gasol brothers, Pau and Marc, as well as Juan Carlos Navarro, Felipe Reyes, Jose Calderon and Rudy Fernandez, won the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Cup, captured EuroBasket crowns in 2009 and 2011 and finished runners-up to the USA at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

The senior women followed up their EuroBasket Women 2013 title with a runners-up finish at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women and now are No. 3 in the FIBA Bwin World Ranking Women.

"We have achieved many sporting successes in all the male and female categories," Saez pointed out, "but above all, we have imprinted a new vision of basketball beyond the courts as a way of life and a social tool; a legacy that remains with a very important pillar: the promotion of basketball on the street."

Spain's federation has also done an outstanding job of putting on tournaments that have focused the eyes of the basketball world on the country.

"I am also particularly proud of the fact that, in recent years, Spain has been host to many major international championships such as EuroBasket 2007, the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women (OQTW) and several championships in the youth categories," Saez said.

"And, of course, the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup Spain has been an example of shared management between FIBA and FEB with a high-level world event organization like none before."

One can applaud the hard work and sacrifice that Saez and the FEB have done.

They have shown professionalism and worked with a lot of emotion, and excitement.

FIBA