Cuban pivot proud to join Spanish basketball team

September 10, 2018

Cuban basketball pivot Javier Justiz appeared before the press for the first time after arriving in Barcelona to join the Spanish basketball club Tecnyconta Zaragoza.

The 2.11-meter-tall player said he felt 'proud' to have joined the Aragonese club, with which he signed a contract at the beginning of this month under the representation of the Cuban Institute of Sports.

The native of Santiago de Cuba province passed the medical examination and subsequently completed the first training session with his teammates.

Justiz arrives at the Spanish Liga Endesa, considered by most experts as the strongest league on the planet after the NBA (United States), coming from the Estudiantes de Concordia team in the Argentine League.

However, European basketball is not entirely unknown to him, as he did preseason training in the Iberian country the previous year.

I have already faced teams from the league, last year I did preseason here against Madrid and Barcelona, he said.

Likewise, the Cuban was aware of the quality of the tournament he is going to play in.

I know players who have been here for years and I know it is a tough league since I follow it a lot. I am going to prepare myself mentally to give it my all, he indicated.

Justiz also referred to what it means for his career to have the opportunity to play in Spain.

It is an enormous dream. Cuba recently opened up to allow its players to be professionals and I am practically the first Cuban player to come to the Liga Endesa, he stated.

It is a dream for me and now I have to fight to keep it by giving my best, he assured.