There are not many happier people in basketball right now than Pau Ribas, who has returned with a long contract to finish his career in the club, Joventut Badalona, where he started playing basketball at age 5.
Pau Ribas, Joventut: 'I knew I would be back'
Interviews
8 mins read
There are not many happier people in basketball right now than Pau Ribas, who has returned with a long contract to finish his career in the club, Joventut Badalona, where he started playing basketball at age 5. His father, Jordi Ribas, had been a pro who helped La Penya, which is Joventut's nickname, win its second Spanish League title in 1978. Ribas is the only player ever to reach Joventut's first squad after playing for each and every youth team in the club, but he left in 2008 after lifting the 7DAYS EuroCup and Spanish Copa del Rey titles. In the 12 seasons since, Ribas played for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Valencia Basket and FC Barcelona, become a European and World champion with the Spanish national team. He won a Spanish League with Baskonia, lifted the Copa del Rey twice with Barcelona, and claimed a second EuroCup crown with Valencia in 2014, hitting a critical shot in a legendary series against Khimki Moscow Region. Now, Ribas is thrilled to be back at Joventut and reading to play in the EuroCup again. "It was important for me to return to the team but stay at a good playing level. I want not just to retire here, but to compete," Ribas told EuroCupbasketball.com. "In that sense, returning to the EuroCup gives us a chance to reach high."
Pau, welcome back to the EuroCup! How important has this competition been in your career?
"Honestly, it brings back some of the best memories I've had in my career: winning titles. Of course, it was really special to win the EuroCup here at La Penya and also with Valencia. It was the only title I won with Valencia, so it was special, too."
Having so much history with Joventut, did you always expected to finish your career where you started it?
"Yes, I always had the idea of coming back, ever since I left. I knew I would be back; I just didn't know when. It happened now for various reasons. I looked for a more important role on a team, and La Penya offered me that. I know our coach and the people in the club well, and so it happened now. It was also important for me to return to the team but stay a good playing level. I want not just to retire here, but to compete. In that sense, returning to the EuroCup gives us a chance to reach high in this competition."
"I want not just to retire here, but to compete."
You won the 2008 EuroCup title in your first full season on the senior team. What do you remember about the Final Eight in Turin?
"I remember that we played very well. We played very good basketball in all three games, dominating our opponents. Moreover, we played fun-to-watch basketball with young players. Pere Tomas, Ricky [Rubio] and I were the youngest, and even when we had tough opponents like Girona, led by Marc [Gasol], we had great momentum. I remember when we got back to Badalona, people were really excited to see the team back in the EuroLeague. The homecoming was great, celebrating it in the town hall. Rudy Fernandez, Demond Mallet, Lubos Barton... we had then what we try to have now: experienced players playing with young talents."
Apart from lifting the trophy twice, your biggest EuroCup moment had to be your go-ahead jumper for Valencia to beat Khimki in the 2014 eighthfinals. How did that unfold?
"We won by 16 in the first leg at home and Khimki led by 17 in the second leg, so they were ahead by a point in the series. We needed to score and get the defensive stop. In the final play, we run the classic 'Russian eights' play that [Coach Velimir Perasovic] liked, and I found a good shot. It was a little bit strange because it was a big shot in my career, but it only served to lose a game by 15 points. But that meant we advanced and it allowed us to win the EuroCup that season. It is one of the most important shots I've made."
How great were those 2014 finals against UNICS Kazan?
"The series against Khimki was almost like the Finals. We didn't have great group stages and had to face Khimki right away in the elimination rounds. Both teams were the favorites to win and eliminating them gave us a lot of confidence. We played first at home in each series and thrashed every opponent at La Fonteta. That allowed us to keep calm in the second leg of each series, including the finals against UNICS. We played really well and Justin Doellman was unstoppable. I have seen very few players do so well as Justin did in those finals."
What's your take on Joventut's regular season group this season?
"What a fun group! And the strongest group, in my opinion. We will play a lot of tough games, especially on the road, and I believe it is always important to be strong at home. Last season, this team won all its home games, lost all its road games, and was about to reach the playoffs. That means that if you win at home, you have a longer run in the competition. We will try to win on the road, but all the teams have top-level players, even Bahcesehir and Bourg. It will be tough to win games and you never know when it is best to face certain opponents: early in the season, in the middle of it, late..."
"Returning to Joventut brings extra excitement"
Joventut hosts Partizan in Round 1. Partizan beat Joventut in the 1992 EuroLeague title game. This will be your first game against Partizan in Joventut's jersey. How special is that?
"It is special. I like Partizan because they are similar to us. They have a lot of tradition and very good youth teams. Partizan has had great moments, and its biggest one against us, of course. So both clubs are similar, and it is always fun to play against them in Belgrade, with great fans. We hope that, little by little, things get back to normal. Above all, we want to play at home because it looks like we will have some fans in EuroCup games. We are really looking forward to that. Imagine, I came back to the club after so many years, and not being able to play in front of our fans is a bit sad. I can't wait to feel our fans' support, no matter if there are 200, 500, 1,000 or 20,000 of them."
As a player in your 30s, how much of an extra motivation is it to play for Joventut again?
"Like you said, I have been playing basketball since I was 5 years old, and I love basketball, in general, whether is playing it, watching it, practicing... anytime, really. The excitement is always there, but it is true that returning to Joventut brings extra excitement. It is a little bit different to play for the team you are a fan of, the one you root for. It brings extra motivation, every day."
You won the EuroCup twice and only your good friend Rafa Martinez has won more times. What would it mean to win three like him?
"I played with Rafa and won the EuroCup together in 2014. He is a generous person who likes to share, and I am sure he would like to share that honor with me. I still have some years left to play here in Joventut, and winning the EuroCup again would mean we did things right and enjoyed ourselves a lot. In the end, I cannot ask for much more than what I have had. I have had a really successful career until now, winning titles with all the clubs I played for, and with the national team. I have been lucky, because winning titles is the most difficult thing to do. When you have won them, fighting for more titles and getting them are always welcome. It is what we like the most, playing to win. I hope I can be lucky enough to match Rafa's achievement!"