That is why, to demonstrate it, the Bilbao-born coach shared two examples at a press conference that illustrate this positive cohesion. "The other day we were training and, at the end, during the individual skills situations we work on, Guillem Vives took a shot coming off an indirect screen. A guy with the career he has, and while he was shooting, like a child, he was shouting, ¡Justin Jaworski!" García de Vitoria said of the red-and-black team's captain, whose words referred to the American shooting guard's standout ability as a scorer.
That amusing episode was followed by another after the latest victory over Girona at the Príncipe Felipe, where Guillem Vives produced a stellar performance and played his best game in a Casademont jersey. "After Guillem Vives' game, the first person to publicly praise him was Trae Bell-Haynes, who shares the position with him. Also, as I mentioned, when we spoke with Guillem about coming here, he asked whether Trae was going to stay," the red-and-black coach recounted about a backcourt pairing that is captivating Aragonese fans.
Vives celebrates with his coach during a play in the latest game against Girona. Photo: ACBPhoto/Esther Casas
In this way, García de Vitoria wanted to highlight the bond that exists within the group and which helps explain what the Basque coach is seeking in the locker room. "It is something you can fake for a week or two, but if you have not internalized it and do not want to do it, your shortcomings will show. What we want is for the team to enjoy itself together," the Bilbao-born coach explained.
ENJOYING THE JOURNEY
García de Vitoria has also sought to pass this philosophy on to the younger players. In a conversation with Casademont's biggest academy prospect, Matija Lukic, the Basque coach left him with a message that sums up his understanding of sport and life within a team: "I am only going to ask you for one thing, Mati. I do not know what is going to happen in your future, but enjoy the process because you are going to experience things that not many people can experience, and what cannot happen is that, when you are my age, you say you did not make the most of it."
"That is also what the team has to do: when a player's career, which is short and part of his profession, comes to an end, they should not think they failed to enjoy it or make the most of it. They are at a point where they are enjoying themselves together, where they do not spend time on their phones but on their teammates, and that is what we are looking for: for the chest to be more important than the back, and for now, we are achieving it," the Casademont coach stressed about an Aragonese locker room that is inspiring the Marea Roja.
