Taking care of your body in whichever way possible is the secret to his longevity, Huertas told. He plans to retire from the national team after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games if they make it.
Lenovo Tenerife's guard Marcelinho Huertas has recently turned 40 years old. He's one of the oldest active professional basketball players in Europe but he's still at the top of his position.
He was second in assists in the Basketball Champions League and fourth in the Spanish Liga Endesa. He was also second on the teams in points and PIR in both tournaments.
What's the secret to his longevity? Paying tremendous attention to his body, Huertas says.
"For athletes, the body is our work tool and you have to know how to take care of yourself in your spare time. Everything you do off the court is important," he told during the interview with David Rubio from Diario Sport. "The gym, injury prevention, what you eat, how you rest... you have to take advantage of everything to be as good as possible."
"There are a thousand types of therapies that help you such as machines, compression boots, hyperbaric chambers, ice, working with the club's physios or sometimes with a private one. It is also key to take care of your mind and have a balanced personal life," he explained. "If your head is not right, it decreases your performance. The goal is to perform on game days but there is a very important invisible job behind it."
So far, Huertas is not planning to retire. His goal is to make the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with the Brazilian national team - that's when he would say goodbye, at least to the national team.
"The only thing in my head now is to finish as high as possible this season, but I can talk about the future. Of course, my goal is to reach the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and that would be my goodbye to the national team," he said. "At the club level, I haven't decided. I have another year left in Tenerife and I'd like to continue playing and doing what I like the most as long as I feel well and my head is in order."
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