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31 August, 2017
17 September
8 Tomás Satoránský (CZE)
30/05/2017
News
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Key ingredient Satoransky hungry for Czech success at EuroBasket

PRAGUE (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - The Czech Republic players may get a surprise when they show up for training camp this summer to start getting ready for FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

Neno Ginzburg remains the coach and one of his new assistants is former national team star, Lubos Barton. All of the players are already aware of those two facts.

What might catch them off guard, however, is that the team lunch could be prepared by none other than starting playmaker Tomas Satoransky.

The Washington Wizards point guard recently learned a few tricks at the Prague Food Festival that will help him in the kitchen, although cooking is something, he says, that is best left to his girlfriend, Anna. She's the daughter of a famous Czech gourmet and restaurant critic, Pavel Maurer.

"I love food but do not cook anything," Satoransky said to idnes.cz. "I would like to change and learn to cook ... maybe it will come with children."

Satoransky, who will arrive at camp after his first season in the NBA with the Washington Wizards, may not have what it takes to be the team chef but he definitely knows what it's going to take to build on recent successes with the national team.

The Czechs, with Satoransky pulling the strings as the floor general, had a strong showing at FIBA EuroBasket 2015. They earned a trip to last year's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Belgrade after a seventh-place finish.

The 25-year-old says he is a lock to be in Cluj-Napoca, where the Czech team will play against Spain, Croatia, Montenegro, Hungary and Group C hosts Romania at FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

"I always look forward to the national team," Satoransky said, "And this time even more. Not only did I not have a lot of minutes on the court (in Washington) but it could be my last (national team) event for a while. I'm looking forward to the EuroBasket."

Following FIBA EuroBasket, the Czech Republic will begin a new adventure in November, the first of six windows that teams will play in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 qualifying games. Satoransky will not be available for those contests, or the ones in February, but may be able to play in the third window in June.

Twelve sides from Europe will qualify for the 32-team World Cup, which is to be played in China.

The Czechs will be looking for big things from Satoransky, a player that always has his share of highlight reel plays, as evidenced at FIBA EuroBasket 2015. 

They will also be expecting a lot from Satoransky's good friend Jan Vesely, who helped Fenerbahce recently capture the EuroLeague title for the first time.

"People in the Czech Republic should appreciate it more, because it is a great success for Czech basketball and I am very proud of Honza (Vesely) that he succeeded," Satoransky said.

"He was supposed to win it last year and just missed out, but it was great that Honza made it and he helped the team again in the Final, and with Ekpe Udoh, was Fenerbahce's driving force in the Final and in the decisive moments."

FIBA