“I’m telling you, interviews… I’ve done two interviews, so I’m…”. Mario Saint-Supery He cannot hide the childhood that still invades him. His face gives him away, but also a certain nervousness when it comes to standing in front of a recorder. That innocence contrasts with his audacity on the courtwhere it has established itself as one of the new realities of Spanish basketball.
The man from Malaga (Rincón de la Victoria, 2006) is one of the young talents -together with Sergio de Larrea and Izan Almansa- who have been called up by Sergio Scariolo for the dispute of the two games of this November Window against Slovakia. Two games in which Spain plays a good part of its chances of being in the Eurobasket and which confirms the coach’s commitment to making the anticipated generational change a reality.
You had already been a guest in February, but now you are part of the team to play the games. How are you experiencing this first concentration?
Very happy. Already in February I had a preview of what the National Team was, of what the family was and now I am very happy that they gave me the opportunity, because the truth is that for me since I was little it has always been a dream to be here. And now I’m taking advantage of the opportunities.
How are your nerves?
Well look, I have to tell you that yesterday morning, in the first training session, at first I was quite nervous and it took me a little while to get going, but when I did it was all normal. I’m enjoying it.
With so many young people in the squad, how patient is Sergio Scariolo?
Very good. I think he is the first one who knows that he has to give us a little more room for error and room for improvement, above all. I see him calm. He helps us, talks to us and the truth is that he is great.
And the veterans, how are they so young?
Well, the veterans are there, but they are not the veteran veterans. [Risas] They are also learning that role.
Have they done any hazing to you?
For what they could have done to us, quite little.
And do they let you, for example, play music in the locker room or are the stripes respected there and they rule?
Well, everyone goes their own way, yes, it doesn’t matter. Everyone does a little bit of what they want.
Could you imagine a year ago being in this locker room today?
Not so soon. Since I was little I saw that I could get there, that by working hard and working and such, that I could have the opportunity one day. But not so soon.
How does Mario Saint-Supery’s adventure in the world of basketball begin?
For as long as I can remember, basketball has been in my life. Always. I started playing in a club, El Palo, in Malaga, when I was four years old. From then on my father always wanted me to train with older people and I loved it. I trained with one, two and even three teams. I spent entire afternoons in the pavilion, always training with seniors, working hard and enjoying myself.
But if at four years old the ball is bigger than you…
Yes, but I was big, I ran and threw it… [Risas]
Is that what caught NBA and Lakers legend James Worthy’s attention about you?
It was on the NovaSchool campus, which is a school that is five minutes from my house and where I have played basketball. In fact, half of my training has been there. It was a campus and there was James Worthy. And I went to see him, but, I was not on campus. I was visiting because it was an open day, a training session and such. And my father dressed me in a Pau Gasol jersey, with an entire Pau Gasol Lakers kit. I was in the stands, James Worthy was explaining something and he saw me and said, “You, come over here.” And he made me shoot free throws.
And how was it?
Well, it took me a while… I put it in the fifth. I was very nervous. I didn’t know who he was, but my father told me: “Wow.” I was super excited. He loved it because he is a big basketball geek.
Have you gotten over your father yet?
It started late. My father started playing when he was 16 and he has always been more of a spectator than a player. He wasn’t bad at it. He says that if he had been two meters tall he would have played ACB, but he has given what he has given.
On this path that you have been on for so little time… what are your feelings? Does it make you dizzy how fast everything goes?
The first thing is that I would never have imagined it. I have gone little by little, day by day, training by training, year by year and focusing only on having fun, which for me is the key to improving. Enjoy and work hard. And little by little I have been growing. Basketball has given me very beautiful moments and very quickly, perhaps too much, but you have to take advantage of it.
And at that speed, are you afraid of falling?
More than a fear, it is the issue of knowing how to manage expectations, comparisons and background noise. You have to know how to manage that. Luckily, I have been with a psychologist for three years who I go to once a week, I don’t fail, and she is helping me a lot. My parents have always put my feet on the ground and I have been surrounded by coaches and very good people, who have helped me and made me see it as a path in which I have to go little by little.
Speaking of managing expectations, do you ever think that the fact that you arrived so early has gone a little to your head?
It’s not that it’s gone to my head, but I’m starting to believe it. Maybe a couple of years ago I said ‘wow, it’s a lie, I can’t be here, I have to be dreaming’. But now I’m kind of starting to believe it, that I can earn a living and I’m starting a career as a basketball player, which was my dream since I was little. So, of course, it’s something incredible.
Within those expectations, you are still a child who has grown up in the social media generation. How do you handle all the noise that is generated there, with a lot of excessive criticism?
Let’s see, luckily, we are still entering as the new generation, the golden boys 2.0and almost everything people say and what they think about us are good things. But I don’t pay much importance to them either because that’s what I told you before, the issue of comparisons, the background noise and I don’t think that’s worth it. I have to focus on my path with my gaze fixed forward.
18 years old… do you have a driver’s license?
That’s a separate topic, it’s better not to talk about it because it’s a disaster.
And the studies?
Well, I started ADE this year at UNIR. I’m going little by little.
Because that is clear to you, the need to continue studying.
For me studying is 100% necessary. My parents have also always instilled it in me. I think I have to have them, not just in case I need it in the future, but because of the culture, because I am a trained person.
Seeing many of your generation colleagues who have packed their bags, hasn’t it crossed your mind to go to the United States?
Let’s see, when I was younger my goal was to go to the United States to play, but everything has gone so fast and everything has gone so well, so to speak, that that dream kind of disappeared and I think I have focused my career on it since another site.
¿Y the NBA?
It would be a dream to play and I’m going to work hard to try.
What do you have to do with The Little Prince or its writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry?
I have no idea. My parents have always told me that there is a relationship there, that my family has something of a relationship. But they don’t know, there is no 100% true evidence, but it has always been said in my family. I can’t tell you.
And do you like the nickname?
Yeah. Damn, okay. It’s an original and cool nickname.
