Pedro Martínez, a millennial in Manresa | Basketball | Sports

She got up very early like every morning to walk Tyrion, her beloved poodle, through Badalona. He went, as always, first to the Nou Congost de Manresa and spent the day watching videos of the quarry teams and rivals. He spoke as usual with sports director Xevi Pujol and discussed the match that will be played this afternoon against Baskonia. But before starting, Baxi Manresa and his supporters went to their coach, Pedro Martínez (Barcelona; 62 years old) who made 1,000 matches on the ACB bench – they are now 1,004 -, the second best mark of history after Aíto’s 1,111. Garcia Reneses. But he didn’t get carried away by the fanfare, a little uncomfortable with being the center of attention and because he always considered individual rewards as a consequence of the collective. “I don’t really like these recognitions, but logically it’s a source of pride to be in such a difficult competition for so long. Because of the pressure, because it’s elite and because surviving is difficult,” he admits. Even if in his case the pride is double.

Basketball has always been his passion, although his skills were not enough to become a professional with the ball in his hands. “Generalizing a lot, there are two types of coaches,” he explains; “those who have been elite players, who know the dynamics of a professional team from the inside and who have lived these experiences; and those who, like me, had to start from scratch and learn everything: the codes of the players, the mentalities…”. So he always felt that to reach this level, he had to improve, acquire the necessary knowledge, debt which he never managed to get rid of. “It’s one thing to have professional recognition and another to have the inner feeling that what you are doing is not enough,” he reflects. But since his debut on March 6, 1990 in Joventut, he has already managed 13 ACB teams – in Gran Canaria, Manresa, Gran Canaria and again Manresa – and has a Korac (1990), a Super Cup (Tau; 2006); and a League (Valencia; 2017), in addition to numerous finalists. Also a printing press. “I trained in a type of basketball, in Badalona, ​​where I liked to play fast and dynamic,” he explains. However, a millennial apprentice, he went to watch Jordi Fernández work in the preseason and playoffs with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings some time ago and gained some influence. “It evolved, going through different phases. Now he tries to play very fast, as much as possible. “In this way, it disinhibits the player, it allows him to make his decisions,” explains Pujol. A style that he also intends to leave as a legacy in Manresa.

Since arriving at the club five years ago, Xevi and Pedro have worked to instill their playing philosophy into the youth team. “He has taken ownership of the project. And the way of training and working in the first team is applicable to the training categories. I play on the court, I run after the basket, I control the spaces, I master the basic concepts well, I am proactive in defense, I read the passing lines and I know how to move on the court…” explains Pujol . “I like to talk to coaches and tell them what I think they should do after so many years of experience. It is not an imposition. If they come to see the training, I explain to them why it is done one way or another. This is how an identity is created and it is already happening. This is Pedro’s pride even if, as with all recognition, he does not have time to savor it because he believes in the culture of demands and effort.

This is why at the start of each course it is essential to be up to the task. “You have to be an example of commitment, effort, seriousness, of doing things while giving your best. If you don’t do it, or if you don’t want to, it won’t work,” he slips. So when, a few years ago, a player told him that he a demanding coach (a demanding coach), accepted the criticism and added: “This is who I am and I try to be fair.” Pujol thinks the same thing: “He is a very disciplined person and consistent with his way of being, values ​​that make him try to be fair in every situation he finds himself in.” Even though sometimes I lose my temper. Something that happens less and less. “Experience shows that certain situations are not so important. Before, I valued positive and negative things more. But nothing is so good and nothing is so bad,” says the coach. That’s why one of his favorite phrases is: “It’s not all win or lose.” Pedro explains: “If you are true to your identity and everyone makes an effort, defeat is accepted with a certain naturalness. » And from the locker room, they emphasize: “Satisfaction cannot depend on whether the last ball of a match hits the iron and goes in or not. If you made the same effort during the week, it can’t bother you.”

progressive and left-wing person, Sabinero, by Leonard Cohen and lover of lost causes, Pedro loves chess and series, even if there is nothing better than watching basketball videos. These days, from Barcelona, ​​the rival in the quarter-finals of the Cup: “It’s an unbalanced match. “But for us, it would be with almost any team in the Cup. Success is participation and the players are very motivated because playing there is exceptional,” he summarizes. And he adds: “Two years ago we also had Barça and we lost by 36 points. It can happen, but we are going to compete and we want to go there with the hope of enjoying the moment. The players deserved it. He too, who will add a new party to his thousand-year history. And he smiles: “Sometimes I look back and I see so many years as a professional, so many experiences, living where I live, meeting people who play basketball… I am very grateful to basketball and I feel absolutely privileged.”

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