On the occasion of the visit of the NBA to Mexico City this week, for the meeting between the Dallas Mavericks y Detroit Pistonsthe former professional basketball player, Horacio Llamas He referred positively to the fact that Mexico seeks adopt diversity policies in the National Teamin the face of an increase in the country’s policy of seeking elements of dual nationality to represent the country.
According to the words of the first Mexican to arrive at the National Basketball Associationthe fact that there is a Greater variety of elements with the possibility of playing for the country It is a natural way to raise the level of national talent.
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“I always saw them as competition and if there is not, you are not going to improve. If someone sees them as, ‘they are going to take away my place,’ I feel that you are only allowing more competition to exist and that way you are not going to progress,” he indicated.
Although the former national team player also has a special perception for the youth team, Karim Lopezcalled to be the next year of the first picks in the NBA draftHoracio spoke on the topic of Jaime Jaquez Jr and the uncertainty on whether he will decide to play in Mexico or notto point out that the country’s real problem is to focus on developing the needs that exist in the national team, above thinking about specific names. “The coach who is there must see what we currently have and what needs to be developed in general, rather than focusing on specific names and giving priority to generating that type of basketball players.”
Hope that Mexico advances more and more with the NBA
Heading into this Saturday’s game, Llamas remains hopeful that Mexico is advancing more and more together with the NBAto grow the sports offering of said league in the country and although he still sees fighting to have a franchise in Mexico City as distant and complicated, he understands that the capital has shown that it can at least extend its relationship with regular season games more often.
“Many legends come to the game. We have that benefit of at least once a year enjoying this and hopefully we can start by at least increasing the number of games per year,” he explained.
DATA BOX
Horacio will have an activity this Friday on a public court, near the Mexico City Arenawhich the NBA remodeled and will present on the occasion of its visit to the country
The Dallas Mavericks This Saturday they will add eight presences in Mexico, as the team that has played in the country the most times, to overcome the tie they had with the San Antonio Spurs.
This weekend the NBA will reach 34 games played in the countryof which only 15 have been regular season.
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TEXTUAL QUOTE
“If they want to play for Mexico, I think the doors should be open. because I believe that as long as there are more players and better competition in any area, the players here will improve and without that mentality you will stagnate” – Horacio Llamas, former professional basketball player
tricolor project
The Mexican Basketball Sports Association presented a youth project in 2024, with the objective of having between 500 and 1,000 dual national players under 16 years of age in the future, registered as Mexicans before the International Basketball Federation.
Per FIBA (International Basketball Federation) guidelines, each national team can only have one naturalized playerbut they can register players born in another country before turning 16 and after meeting clear residency rules.
The post Horacio Llamas in favor of naturalized people in Mexico appeared first on Veritas News.
