Spanish Basketball Star Victor Claver Retires Surrounded by Teammates and Fans

Valencia, Jul 4 (EFE).- Spanish basketball, led by Ricky Rubio and the men’s national team, and other great figures such as Albert Oliver, Pau Ribas and Fernando San Emeterio, supported Victor Claver on Thursday in his retirement from professional basketball.

At an event held at L’Alquería del Basket and attended by around two hundred people including family, friends, former players and basketball fans, Víctor Claver said goodbye to professional sport at l’Alqueria del Basket in an event attended by his great friends from the national team, Sergio Llull, Pau Ribas and Ricky Rubio.

Rubio, in his first appearance since it was announced that he would not be part of the pre-Olympic team, explained that for him Victor is “the best definition of ‘soldier’” that exists, whose “meaning in the dictionary is ‘people who are essential to maintaining the security and balance of a country.’”

“It was a perfect fit for what Claver has meant, which is often not seen but is very noticeable. The 2019 World Cup cannot be won without you; the 2015 EuroBasket cannot be won either…” stressed Rubio, who insisted that “no title reflects the example” that he sets.

“He is an example for many, leading from an area that many young people do not want to do, which is to do it from the shadows, an absolutely necessary role,” the point guard explained in statements to EFE, adding that in the 2019 World Cup he was “the piece that made everything work.”

For his part, Sergi Llull stressed, in front of about two hundred people, that “not even on the day of his retirement does he want the spotlight on himself”, although he commented that Víctor has been “indispensable for all of the national team’s titles”, because “although he did not shine in the statistics, he was always there, helping when someone missed the mark”.

“But I’ll stick with the person. He’s always there to help you, especially in bad times, and that’s what defines you. You deserve all the good things that have happened to you and what’s to come. We’ll miss you on the pitch but we’ll continue to enjoy you off it,” Llull said.

Finally, Pau Ribas joked that with Juancho Hernangómez’s muscular problems the event “can be postponed for a few weeks” and explained that he reached the elite as a player, “but the most important thing is to consider him as family for everything he has done in recent years.”

Valencia, Jul 4 (EFE).- Valencian Víctor Claver, who said goodbye to professional basketball on Thursday, explained that he now likes his son Hugo to get “excited” watching a basketball, but he hopes that in the future he finds something that “fulfills” him as much as “playing basketball” has fulfilled him and, above all, keeping in mind “where” he comes from, as his father, Javier, taught him.

“I like that you now get excited watching a ball, playing or watching games. I hope that in the future you find something that fulfills you as much as playing basketball has fulfilled me. Being able to enjoy something that has an impact on so many people is a privilege. But whatever you do, do it with humility, always knowing where you come from, as your grandfather taught me, who is the main reason why we are here today,” Claver explained, surrounded by more than two hundred people, to his son, who is barely two years old.

At an event held at L’Alqueria del Basket in Valencia, with the entire Spanish national team at his side and players such as Ricky Rubio, Pau Ribas and basketball personalities such as the president of the FEB, Elisa Aguilar, or the coach Pedro Martínez, Claver stressed the example given to him by his father, who died thirteen years ago.

“He guided me, marked my steps, protected me and motivated me so that I could gradually become who I am today, no matter where I am here. Thank you, Dad,” said an emotional Victor Claver, who ended his career with the pride of “having tried to be the best Victor I could be, always putting the person first.”

“I was just a skinny redhead from Valencia who didn’t talk much and went a bit unnoticed,” said Claver, surrounded by family, friends from Maristas, his school, and Valencia workers, whom he thanked for having helped him reach the elite.

Claver, in a speech that concluded an event in which Ricky Rubio, Sergio Llull and Pau Ribas also spoke, stressed that he has felt “very overwhelmed this whole week” since he announced his retirement last Monday and also thanked Valencia Basket for giving him “total freedom to do whatever he wanted.”

He spoke about the relationship between the national team players: “I arrived when I was twenty and they showed me that family is something that comes from afar and since then I have tried to transmit the values ​​that are born from playing pocha. This ‘soldier’ ​​is very proud of being a soldier for so long. I hope that Valencia helps you achieve that goal of being in the Olympics,” said a shy Claver.

“I don’t like being in the spotlight, not even today, which is the day I retire, but I put up with it,” joked the forward who has spent eighteen seasons in professional basketball, winning three EuroBaskets and one World Cup with the Spanish national team.

However, he was very grateful to all the educators during his first stage of training: “I went from playing point guard in minibasketball to playing center when I was a cadet and played with the juniors. I am sure that this process helped me to know how to adapt.”

He also thanked Vicente Solá, president of Valencia, and Paco Raga, former director of the club, as well as Sergio Scariolo for his “trust and honesty, and for the respect these last two summers”, as well as the Valencian club, which allowed him “to play at the highest European level while living at home” with his parents.

Speaking to reporters after the event, he said that for months his body had been giving him signals regarding the decision he had made.

“I will remember the trip. Many people came today and I shared it with them and I was looking forward to doing it with them because they have been a very important part. There were days when I thought that my last game could not be losing in a playoff, but with time that will pass, I will remember the best moments and the people,” said Claver.

For the now ex-player, the important thing now is to “rest, catch my breath, prepare for the future” and continue training outside of basketball: “I have other concerns, now I have to find my place and I want to actively seek it while I rest,” concluded Claver.

2024-07-04 14:36:28
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