Santi Aldama revealed what he learned the most during the injury-riddled season with the Memphis Grizzlies and shared his thoughts on whether Juan Nunez would be ready to join the San Antonio Spurs this summer.
Santi Aldama and Spain made it into the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament final after a tough battle against Finland.
The Spaniards, in front of more than 5,000 of their local fans in Pabellon Fuente de San Luis, Valencia, achieved an 81-74 win and will face the Bahamas for the lone ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Aldama contributed to the win with 15 points (2/5 2PT, 3/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 20 EFF in 28 minutes of play.
"I'm definitely happy, but we have one more game [to win] to reach our goal," Aldama told BasketNews straight after the victory. "So, definitely happy for the next 20 minutes. After that, just locking in and getting some sleep."
Even though Aldama developed as a player in Spain, he never had the opportunity to play professionally in Europe.
Aldama played for Loyola for two seasons in the NCAA, and then the Memphis Grizzlies selected him with the No. 30 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Currently, Aldama is the only representative of Spain in the NBA. However, it might soon change as another Spanish national team member, Juan Nunez, was drafted with the No. 36 pick in this year's NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.
However, is Nunez ready to make a step to the NBA?
"If you ask me
Try BN+ for free here!