EuroBasket: Álex Mumbrú: “This Germany reminds me a lot of the Spain with which we were champions. Because of the commitment, the feeling and even the way of playing”

Of that Spain, world champion of 2006, only Alex Mumbrú (Barcelona, ​​1979) made the leap to the bench, although in his case no one is surprised: he still keeps and updates a notebook in which he took notes from his coaches, including Manel Comas, Javier Imbroda, Joan Plaza, Pepu Hernández, Sergio Scariolo and, especially, his admired Aito García Reneses. He was even more surprised when, a few months ago, Germany, also a world gold medalist (2023), announced him as a replacement for Gordon Herbert. After his debut as a coach at Bilbao Basket and his time at Valencia, a leap to further claim the prestige of Spanish coaches. The Mumbrú era began this Thursday with a defeat in Sweden (73-72) in a qualifying match for the Eurobasket (it had 23 player casualties spread across NBA and Euroleague teams).

He never even played outside of Spain.

There were some offers, but I have been lucky that I always had good teams and good contracts in Spain. But I wasn’t afraid to leave, I wanted to get to know other leagues and other basketballs. I am halfway between Spain, where the family is, and Hagen, headquarters of the German Federation.

How was your signing forged?

I went to the first meeting, like when you meet with a team, to see how it went. And the simple fact that the world champion is calling you makes you proud. I knew they had been asking about me. After several meetings, the positions became closer.

What were they looking for in you?

It’s one more question for them. But I think they were looking for someone who knew how the national teams worked from the inside. It is not the same as a team, where you have to consolidate relationships with the players over time. In a national team you have to deal with whoever comes, make sure everything flows quickly because then they return to their clubs. And, above all, create the environment so that they want to come. The commitment of the players has to be very high. That makes it easier.

Dennis Schroderwith whom he already met, recalled the semifinals of the last Eurobasket, in which Spain defeated Germany in Berlin and related to that “defensive mentality.”

That was a little of everything, also competitiveness. In that match tactical things happened that ultimately caused them to lose. Schroder is not just another player, he is the point guard, he has a very coaching mentality, he analyzes the games and sees them. When a player believes that they could have won something and that they didn’t because of tactics, they may think that maybe I can help them with that. I understand that you had a difficult time.

How was your meeting with him in the United States?

He is a leader. A great person, which is something important, and a winner. You talk to him and you realize that he knows a lot about basketball and that he likes it. He is very aware of everything and cares a lot about the selection. We talk about basketball and goals. And we met. In the national team you spend little time together and you have to create quick links so that it is easier to spread on the court later.

Him, the brothers Wagner, Daniel Theis…he’s going to have a lot of talent on his hands.

They tell me: ‘How brave.’ For having gone to a team that is already a champion, you can almost only do worse. We will see. If there is commitment, why not continue winning. It is an important, beautiful and exciting challenge. But I also have the pressure of having to do things well. We will try to do it.

Does this Germany remind you of the successful group you were part of with the Spanish team?

Yes, the truth is that it does remind me a lot of that time, of the Spain when we were champions of the world, of Europe. For the commitment, for the people, for the summers in which we created that bond of friendship between all of us. And behavior on the track. They remember me in the way they play, in how they celebrate. That feeling.

Who was the coach from whom you learned the most?

I have been lucky to have very good coaches. It was like learning, a continuous clinic with all of them. Surely, in my career, Aíto has been the one who has marked me the most. Also Sergio, Pepu… I remember many things, you pick up what marked you from each one of them. In my last years it was clear to me. I was looking, asking, why is this like this… I was very curious.

How would you define yourself on the benches?

I like to be a demanding coach, that things are worked on as a team. I also give a lot of importance to the locker room part, the type of people that make up the team. I like brave teams, that defend, that fight, that don’t laze…

The Spanish coach is in fashion.

The Spanish coach is very well regarded worldwide. Not only at the Euroleague or national team level. There are also others in small leagues, Venezuela, Poland… They value our work, the tactical level, what we give off… And the results. It’s all a bit related. It’s nice. That there is a Spaniard carrying an NBA team speaks very well, first of all Jordi [Fernández]and after Spanish basketball in general.

However, it seems that there is a crisis of the national player, only now Aldama in the NBA.

There is still a very high level in the Spanish player. Litters and litters are coming out. In the lower categories they always win. It is true that here in Germany they decided to make a bet on their national player and little by little it has paid off.

On the field they had great battles with NowitzkiHave you already spoken to him?

I haven’t been able to yet. But it is a super important part of German basketball. He was one of the first who began to pave the way for commitment to the national team. I know him, I have shared many championships with him. When I see him, I’m sure we’ll have a laugh. Let’s see if I can give him back all those defeats with Spain. At that time our selection marked an era.