MADRID (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019) - Spanish great Jorge Garbajosa is excited that a lot more players will have an opportunity to prove they can make the grade in international basketball thanks to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers under the watchful eyes of their dedicated fans.

After having to wait in the wings for many years because of the country's iconic figures like Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro, Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) President Garbajosa says the country will now be able to show its wealth of talent by calling up excellent and deserving players for the World Cup Qualifiers windows.

Garbajosa believes the players are ready to take full advantage of the new system.

"Every change needs time to adjust to. When the New Competition System was explained to them (the players), they could see there was an opportunity in this kind of window," he said. "We can't play with the NBA players (in the November and February windows) but at the same time, this is a great opportunity because we have a lot of good players that haven't been able to get into the national team since we've had this unbelievable Golden Generation.

"They (other players) will now have the opportunity to show themselves to a big crowd, to show themselves to the coaches and to show themselves to their teams that they can compete at the maximum level of what the World Cup Qualifiers will be."

(With the New Competition System), The fans will get to see the most important team in our country in basketball many more times.GarbajosaGarbajosa

The national team's fans pack arenas whenever it has home games, though most of the time as part of preparations for major tournaments.

Now they will play meaningful games - World Cup Qualifiers - in six windows, the first of which is late this year.

"For us it's a new era, a moment to change and to see all of the possibilities that the system gives us," the 39-year-old went on. "Spain is a team with a lot of fans behind it every summer, enjoying with them the celebration of medals. This New Competition System gives us an opportunity to be closer to our fans because we are going to get together and play together a lot more times than in the past.

"Now, our fans, sponsors and media will have the chance to enjoy this team - one that is so important for the country - four times per year. The fans will get to see the most important team in our country in basketball many more times."

Spain was the most important team that former European league and NBA star Garbajosa played for in his long and famous career. He was arguably the best power forward in international basketball when Spain won the 2006 World Cup in Japan. 

Spain have claimed 3 FIBA EuroBasket titles and 3 Olympic medals since being crowned world champions in 2006

A three-time Olympian, Garbajosa played at five FIBA EuroBaskets, including in 2009 as a member of Spain's first European-title winning side.

In addition to the 2006 world title, Spain have won three of the last four FIBA EuroBaskets and also reached the podium at the past three Olympics.

No team has been as dominant in Europe as Spain since 2001, when Garbajosa helped it finish third at the EuroBasket in Istanbul. The team has been on a roll ever since. In 2015, Spain won the EuroBasket for the third time in the past four tries.

Spain will open their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers with home games in the First Round on November 26 against Slovenia, February 26 against Montenegro and July 1 against the other Group A team that won't be known until the Pre-Qualifiers are played.

Garbajosa is someone that knows very well how a national team captures the imagination of the sporting public. He and his teammates achieved legendary status when they went undefeated in 2006 and won the World Cup. That success led to increased media coverage and gave fans an insatiable desire to watch the national team players.

"We're very proud of it," he said of the popularity of the national teams. "As we're used to saying the last 15, 16 years, this national team - both women and men - became more than basketball team and sport teams. Everybody can recognize them (the players). Everyone knows them. We are really very proud of this, (hosting) FIBA EuroBasket, the World Cup but even when we play tournaments in the rest of Europe and the rest of the World as we did at the Olympics last year, you can feel how the fans are closer to the team." 

Garbajosa was elected President of the Spanish Basketball Federation last July

The FEB has terrific and devoted long-term sponsors. With their help, it does great work in the communities. Garbajosa says the World Cup Qualifiers windows have been well received by them.

"When we explained it to them, they were comfortable because in the past we have had a lot of projects in the street, social programs, a lot of things that we do," he recalled. "But we know that the men's and women's national teams are the main ships of our life.

"We have partners like Endesa, La Caixa that we will show their brands during the whole year and not just during the summer. I feel when I talk to them that they receive this new system of competition as very good news."

Mediaset Espana recently agreed to terms with FIBA to carry games for the 2017-2021 period through the Mediaset Sports channels and on the online platform mitele.es.

"For us it's important that it's a five-year contract so that means they have a lot of good hopes in us for the next five years," Garbajosa said. "It's pretty good news that we'll have this important TV in Spain showing our games."

FIBA