BY JOSÉ LUIS SÁEZ

In both funny clips from the Endesa´s Basketball league that we see on television appear as protagonists: Juan Carlos Navarro, Felipe Reyes, Jorge Garbajosa, Carlos Jimenez, Berni Rodriguez and Fran Vazquez. It would be a good exercise to ask the marketers of the two major corporate sponsors of the League who have launched this campaign. Why? from almost 225 players, most of them nationals, and many with limited or poor continuity on their teams, they have chosen to them.

No doubt, it was not a whim. Not by chance. Juan Carlos, Felipe, Jorge, Carlos, Berni and France meet, among others, the indentification value: with their teams and the fans, not just for basketball fans but for lovers of sport in general. The six have also another common denominator that huge media impact: their image as Spanish team players.
Both promotional spots show us once again that the value of the identification is priceless. And that the greatest possible identification comes from young base of players.

Throughout our history we has been always working with the young players, based on quality, identity and commitment of the home players home and this is the way how the Spanish basketball has reached its maximum level. The Spanish player has always been the best investment for our sport: it has been a sport, economic and brand image success. Clearly, nowadays times are not those that the 84 generation lived through or the Los Angeles immediately following. Now in the concept of homemade player must also include those who, although not Spanish, have decided, directly or indirectly through sport, to settle in our country and assimilate the values of our society.

But to accept that we are in a world with borders increasingly diluted and that multiculturalism is a fact (Spain is an example)-it does not mean to forget that our no senior national teams have been the world's most rewarded in the last decade: nothing less than 35 medals in as many championships, male and female, juniors, cadets, U20, (18, U19 ... and even 3x3

Working with young people provides the maximum result. Go for their training and development is hard work, the contribution of everyone and total confidence in this policy. But mostly requires total conviction that this is the best formula for our basketball does not stop growing and keep being the best example for the entire world.