Russia - We Are Basket Champs of Europe!

From: www.kommersant.com
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The basketball squad of the country secured past night one of the most brilliant and unexpected victories for Russia’s sport. For this purpose, the boys prevailed 60-59 at the final game against Spain at European Basketball Championship in Madrid. But the triumph would have never happened without the helping arm extended from overseas. Russia won mostly thanks to John Robert Holden, who secured the title with 2 seconds left before the end of the final, and thanks to coach David Blatt, who managed to transform an average continental team into true winners.

Both David Blatt and Russia’s Basketball Federation President Sergey Chernov called a historic event the Madrid victory of Russia over reigning champs and hosts, and their pathetic rhetoric had good reason. Russia’s success in Spain will be one of the most thrilling sensations of 2007, the more so that the last gold was won in 1988, i.e. in time of the former Soviet Union.

The grounds of the Spain surprise are easy to determine, they are rather of the U.S. origin. J.R. Holden that secured to Russia the first-ever EuroBasket title with just 2.5 seconds left was born in the United States.

The fact that the victory was primarily the achievement of coach would hardly be questioned. The strength of the team repeats the previous one by ¾, but the previous ceiling had been fighting for the quarterfinal.

Even the drive that the Russians manifested in each game of the championship was striking. Andrey Kirienko obscured such NBA stars as Pau Gasol and Tony Parker. “It is the best team in my career,” captain of Russia’s squad acknowledged after the final.