Eric Musselman: The Coach Behind Venezuela’s Rise in Basketball

Venezuelan basketball reached its highest point in the Mexico Pre-Olympic 2015. There the team led by Néstor “Che” García gave the surprise and won the gold medal to classify the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Gamesplacing itself at the top of the podium above powers such as Argentina and Canada.

A large part of that core of players who later qualified for two World Cups had their start four years earlier, in the Mar del Plata Pre-Olympic. There the goal was to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. However, the task seemed uphill, as there was a generational change in that team that stood out continentally at the beginning of the millennium.

It was only within the old guard Óscar Torres and Héctor “Pepito” Romero. To guide the The Vinotinto de Las Alturas, The Venezuelan Basketball Federation (FVB) decided on the American Eric Musselman.

A time of change for La Vinotinto de las Alturas

The strategist had several young pieces at his disposal such as David Cubillán, GreIvis Vásquez, Gregory Echenique, Dwight Lewis, Néstor Colmenares, Windi Graterol and Heissler Guillent.

That set was presented in Mar del Plata 2011 with a squad that was 24 years old on average. Despite not getting into the semifinals, Venezuela achieved a good performance by winning four of their eight games. Among those victories, the one obtained against Canada and Uruguay. The setbacks before are also remembered Brazil and Dominican Republiccountries that had several NBA.

The Vinotinto finished in fifth place. This allowed access to the Pre-Olympic Repechage that took place in July 2012 within the facilities of the Poliedro de Caracas. There, at home, the National Team began with a close victory against Nigeriaand then fall against Lithuania by 18 points. A fall of the Europeans against the Africans led to a triple tie that excluded Venezuela from the possibility of going to London.

Against Lithuania it would be his last appearance as the country’s coach. He left his position to Néstor “Che” García, who debuted in the 2013 World Cup, also held at the Poliedro.

Results of Eric Musselman as coach of Venezuela

Pre-Olympic 2011
Brazil 92-83 Venezuela
R. Dominicana 92-89 Venezuela
Venezuela 106-69 Cuba
Venezuela 103-98 Canada
Venezuela 82-94 Puerto Rico
Argentina 111-93 Venezuela
Venezuela 110-74 Panama
Venezuela 92-80 Uruguay

South American 2012
Venezuela 86-61 Chile
Argentina 90-87 Venezuela
Venezuela 101-66 Colombia
Venezuela 86-70 Brazil
Argentina 79-56 Venezuela

Repechage 2012
Venezuela 71-69 Nigeria
Lithuania 100-82

2024-04-05 01:55:43
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