The teams and places in which an athlete plays shape him or her as a player and as a human being. From my origins in Mahón, following my years in Manresa, the months I played in Olesa, and my arrival at Real Madrid I can identify what I have learned from each stage professionally and personally. I have always been honest: giving it all and working hard have been my way of giving back to those teams and thanking every and all opportunities. Thanks to the journey I find myself where I am right now.
After the collapse, standing up. In weakness, opportunity. My ACL injury when with the National Team during summer 2017 helped me understand that we are here to fight and overcoming obstacles. I experienced that there were so many people supporting and caring for me; and I was able to be back, after a long and hard-working process, stronger, and with the same thrill and will to improve and compete.
The summers I spend with the Spanish National team deserve a special space. I'm proud of representing my country and wearing our jersey in all championships. We are a great family and you can feel that inside and outside the court. Being part of an historical generation that has written some of the most memorable chapters of the Spanish Sports history and playing with some of the Spanish greatest players of all time is an honour and a privilege.
After 4 amazing years in Manresa, I was called by Real Madrid. It was a unique opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you have to take. To defend this jersey is an enormous responsibility and a dream come true at the same time. Since I was a child, I had always been a Real Madrid supporter and I used to watch all the games wearing the team’s jersey. I have nowadays the opportunity to wear it on the court and that is a great feeling. Two months after arriving to Real Madrid, we won the Spanish Championship by defeating Barça in Barcelona: it was just incredible.
At the age of 15, after lots of games played, hundreds of training sessions with my team mates and thousands of challenges with my brother Iván, there was a game that became an turning point in my life: we played Jovent Alaior away, the second best team in our league, and some of my team mates were injured. We managed to win that game (105-117) in which during the regular time (no OT!!) I scored 71 points and dished 19 assists. It was the game that every child has dreamed about! I would score every shot, the basket was like a swimming pool for me. I recall it as one of the happiest days in my life. Thanks to this game I was picked to be part of the U-16 pre- National team. Even though I finally did not make it to the team, it was a beautiful experience that took me to sign for Manresa, who had been following me.
My grandfather coached my dad right in the same team in which I started to practice this sport. I remember very well when I used to watch at the arena my father’s games together with my mother. I used to enjoy it a lot and I couldn't help jumping to the court during half time or prior to the warm up minutes, and try to shoot some balls even though the basket was pretty high for my age. This is the time where my passion for basketball developped. At school I used to play both football and basketball but my preference was always to become a basketball player. Some of my friends wanted to become astronauts, doctors, policemen or firefighters but I always wanted to become a basketball player and now I'm living my dream.
