Latvia’s maiden FIBA Basketball World Cup journey has come to an end, but the team remains focused on its future goals.
“I believe the direction is pretty clear,” offered head coach Luca Banchi during the postgame press conference following their 81-79 quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Germany, led by Franz Wagner, on Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
One of the four debutants in this year’s tournament, the world No. 29 Latvia surprised many when it finished as the No. 2 seed in Group H in the First Round with a 2-1 record, including a stunning victory over the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalists, France.
The Latvians continued to impress by nearly upsetting reigning champs Spain, ultimately finishing second in Group K in the Second Round.
Remarkably, they achieved all of this without star forward Kristaps Porzingis, who had to withdraw from the tournament due to ongoing issues with plantar fasciitis.
“We arrived here in competition with a good mix of young players and veterans, and experienced players who complemented each other very well. They helped the youngsters a lot to feel part of this program,” Banchi said.
Although they made a valiant effort against Germany, it wasn’t enough to secure a win. Despite Dennis Schroder not performing at his usual level, Germany relied on its depth and managed to secure a two-point victory, advancing to the semifinals for the first time since winning bronze in 2002.
As Germany celebrated their historic achievement, some Latvian players fell to their knees in pain and disbelief as their dream run came to an end.
However, they quickly picked themselves up, and veteran Davis Bertans expressed pride in his team for proving themselves on basketball’s biggest stage.
“All I want to say is I’m extremely proud of this team, battling every single game,” said the Oklahoma City Thunder forward, who finished with 20 points.
“I think we put ourselves in a position to win, not because of any individual players, but because we played as a team, we played the right way. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get it done in the end,” added the 30-year-old.
The team remains optimistic about their future and is focused on maximizing the remaining games in the World Cup, according to Banchi.
“The next goal is not the pre-Olympic qualification, but the next goal is tomorrow. We have another game and one more before the end of this tournament,” said the Italian head coach, who has been in charge since 2021.
“When you have an opportunity to play against the seven best teams in the world, it’s time to use it. Despite our hearts being broken, we have to play and play well because competing with the best can help us evolve as a team and as players. This national team lacks such experience because we have been absent from international competitions since 2017,” added Banchi.
“So, for us, every single game really matters to evolve, to generate improvements, and we see the path. We are happy for what we did, but we are totally focused on our future.”
