ARGENTINA (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - Canada coach Ray Rana spoke at a press conference after Canada's first win in Group B of the FIBA AmeriCup 2017, against Venezuela (75-66), in what was their farewell to Bahía Blanca and the tournament. Those who also expressed their thoughts were Brooklyn Nets’ center Andrew Nicholson, and San Antonio Spurs’ Joel Anthony, as well as the analysis of Shooting Guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (NCAA’s Florida State) and Canada's National Team Program Head Coach Jay Triano.

The Canadian coach evaluated the Team’s participation on Group B at the Osvaldo Casanova Stadium. “It was nice for us to be able to have a chance to grow in every game and just get better with a young group, with a lot of new players at this level, so I take tremendous pride in our process and our result today.”

“Just watching our young players get better every day and watching a group that really began to just understand how much you have to fight in every game. To win these games, I mean, these games are about passion just as much as they are about tactics and strategy, and I think we got better and better and played a classic game last night and all the time against Argentina. A great experience for our guys,” said the coach.

Jay Triano said: “It’s been a great tournament. The fans here are very passionate and the atmosphere in the arena makes it exciting basketball because they’re on top of you.”

Andrew Nicholson added: “I think we all did better, collectively, you know, as a team as well as the coaching staff. I feel great. He actually coached me in high school and as a Sophomore. He definitely helped me get better then and he’s making me get better now. Just his leadership and his ability to keep us all together, he's done a great, fantastic job.” Meanwhile, Florida State University Shooting Guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes noted: “I feel good, it’s the first game we win. Rana is a wonderful coach. We’re trying to play better every time. We knew we were a young team. Yesterday we played a very tough team like Argentina but we were able to measure up. It’s all about getting better and that’s what we came to do. Today we were able to win against a great Venezuelan team.”

Whilst the San Antonio Spurs Center and Manu Ginóbili’s teammate, Joel Anthony, evaluated Group B: “Argentina is a great team and it was such a pleasure to have faced them in a game as tough as yesterday’s."

Regarding Group B, he added: “There’s been a lot of competition with many good teams and all games were hard fought. I feel we’ve been at a good competition level and no one has been afraid to do it.”

“This country and this city have a lot of history and it’s been amazing to get to know this place. “It’s been a learning experience, different, with a group of new and younger players. We have tried to grow and improve constantly. I think we've definitely taken some steps forward," said Anthony who remembered his Spurs teammate, Bahia Blanca’s native Emanuel Ginobili, in this way: “I haven’t spoken to Manu, but he recommended a really good restaurant.”

FIBA