He arrived casually to the world of basketball because he was an aquaintance of the man who was the mayor of Barcelona. He began as the secretary of The Catalonian Federation and he continued taking on new positions until he arrived to the Spanish Federation. With the arrival of democracy he was voted in. His name forms a part of the history of basketball along with Anselmo López and Raimundo Saporta, people who are remembered with admiration. It´s important to note his modesty: ¨I have just been a director.¨ At 84 years old he continues in his office of commercial law in Barcelona and says that, ¨As long as my mind and legs hold up, working is a distraction.¨ Two years ago he was widowed, he was married to María Jesús Cros Simarro. They had fourteen children who, along with his numerous relatives, make up one of the great basketball families. On March 17th a much-deserved tribute will be held in his honor by the European branch of The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and The Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) during a dinner that will take place in The Casino of Madrid. How do you feel about this tribute, is it still inspiring after all your accomplishments? -"It´s very inspiring, above all because I´m no longer in charge. It´s a great reason to be thankful.¨ It´s interesting because you have never played basketball. -"No, I haven´t. My arrival to the world of basketball was by chance. I skied a lot and played field jockey—I was the champion of Spain with Barcelona FC in Santander, and I still have the medal.¨ Even so, you have been with basketball for almost a half century. -"I´ve been involved in basketball, as a director, for more than fifty years," Who was your first contact in the basketball world? -¨In 1954 my experince began as a secretary of The Catalonian Basketball Federation. I knew a little about the sport but nothing happened until I met my wife´s uncle, Antonio Simarro, who at the time the mayor of Barcelona, and a friend of mine, Sixto Quintana, who was in the Federation. They thought that we could make more money together.¨ And you began to get involved. -"At first as a secretary, later on I was vice persident and finally, on the 9th of January in 1959, I was made president. I was president until 1972, and then went on to preside in the Spanish Federation. How did that come to be? -"In 1972 I got a call from Juan Gich, who was at the time The National Sports Delegate. He told me that the next day I would act as president. I took the position, although later on I had to be voted in." How do you remember this stage of your life? -"I turned over the position to Enrique Menor in 2004. I decided that I wouldn´t try to be elected again since I was about to turn 83. During the period of 1972 to 2004 I had to leave the FEB in 1984, after the Silver Medal in Los Angeles due to a command that limited the presidency to a twelve- year term. Pedro Sust filled the position after I left, and I practically withdrew from Spanish basketball and put to use the positions I had in internacional organizations, such as the post of President of the World Commission, The President of the European Legal Commission, and later on two years as the president of The European Federation.¨ Nevertheless, you were back later. In 1992 they called me back to hold the position of president and prepare the Olympic Games in Barcelona. At first they said it would just be one year but they asked me back for another year, and another and then I continued until 2004. In those times I was also named FIBA President.¨ You remember fondly your trip with Spain´s Selected team to Russia. -"Alfonso Martínez arrived a day late and Pedro Ferrnándiz, the manager, told him to go home. We went to Russia without our pivot forward. Well, we had one but he wasn´t the same height...It´s better to forget about our scores, even Finland beat us. In those days, to go to the USSR, with Stalin in power and with Franco in Spain, it was a huge challenge. Yet we were treated very well. A journalist called Matías Prats went with us. He was a father and an artist. The interpreter we had with us was impressed by Prats´vocabulary and was always amazed when he heard him. We had an excellent time. Basketball formed relationships that couldn´t have exisited otherwise between two coutries like Russia and Spain.¨