The old Catalan cat that makes history in the Euroleague

BarcelonaThe Roig Arena experienced a night they will never forget. Valencia Basket completed a historic comeback against Panathinaikos and left the Greek team without the final four it organizes. The qualification has many protagonists, but it is led by a Catalan. A few weeks after being chosen as the best coach in the Euroleague, Pedro Martínez (61 years old) led the orange team to an unprecedented feat. He is an old cat who is in vogue.

"The atmosphere has been impressive. It's a day that years will pass and we will always remember because it gives us qualification, but also for the feelings we've had throughout the day. With this communion with the fans, it is very difficult to lose," says the coach from Badalona. After suffering two defeats in the first two games, Martínez turned the tie around in the third, when he did not allow himself to be conditioned by Ergin Ataman's provocations and forced his expulsion. The message was clear: Valencia Basket was not willing to back down. Since then, everything changed and the Valencian team won three consecutive victories.

A total of 15,600 spectators watched the fifth game live. In addition, the club set up an auditorium for all the people who couldn't get a ticket. "We had pressure, but we handled it well. The team has been very focused, nothing took them out of the game. I highlight the great concentration of the players throughout the tie, how we adjusted and how they adapted. I think playing as a team has given us many positive things because they are surely better than us individually," he analyzes.

The team designed by Luis Arbalejo with a budget much smaller than that of the great title contenders has achieved a memorable performance. Ataman exhibited his usual Mourinho-esque discourse to justify the defeat. "Valencia took 29 free throws and we only 8. It's a very strange thing. It's the third consecutive game that the second-highest scorer in the Euroleague, Kendrick Nunn, has not had any free throws. If the refereeing criterion is maintained, Valencia Basket can win the final four", he lamented.

After the tie, Martínez did not want to get into a physical confrontation. "It has been a great party. I walk a lot on the street and for a week it has been impressive. The enthusiasm of the people I have met has moved me because it means that the team is transmitting something. Making these people happy is a very good objective," says the Catalan coach.

Martínez's proposal has been decisive in accentuating the team's collective virtues. "Jean Montero has found himself up against a tremendously physical defense and has played with impressive concentration. For me, these are the best minutes he has played due to the concentration and patience he has shown. And this happens because he trusts his teammates. The day he scored the fewest points is the day I think he played best," he explains.

A respected NBA coach

Martínez, who has a great relationship with Jordi Fernández (Brooklyn Nets), is a highly admired coach in the NBA. "We all take ideas from him," confesses Kenny Atkinson (Cleveland Cavaliers). "Pedro Martínez is the coach I have studied the most in my life and the one who has influenced me the most," acknowledges Tuomas Iisalo (Memphis Grizzlies).

Valencia Basket will play in the EuroLeague semifinals against Real Madrid. The other tie will be played by Georgios Bartzokas' Olympiacos and Sarunas Jasikevicius' Fenerbahçe, two former Barça coaches. "We are very happy, but we are not getting ahead of ourselves," asks Martínez, who in 2017 already led Valencia Basket to the League title and has now taken them to play their first final four.