Pablo Prigioni will be the coach of Argentina during the AmeriCup

It all happened in just a few hours. Argentina defeated the Bahamas for the second date of the fourth FIBA ​​window looking to qualify for the World Cup. He arrived in Buenos Aires bound for Recife, Brazil, for the AmeriCup but was left without a passenger: Néstor Che García announced his departure from the National Team. And, hours later, it was confirmed that it will be Pablo Prigioni who will be next to the team in the former FIBA ​​Americas.

Everything was announced through communications. On Tuesday night, the Argentine Basketball Confederation spoke of “reasons for his privacy that we respect” when explaining the departure of the head coach hours before facing the most important tournament on the continent, and also used the same route to explain that the Cordovan The 45-year-old will take charge of the squad at least for this competition and also the FIBA ​​windows that lie ahead (the next one will be in November).

Initially, the name was Gonzalo García, Néstor’s assistant, accompanied by Leo Gutiérrez and also Prigioni, who finally became the main coach. With extensive experience in the National League, the ACB and also in the NBA (among others, the New York Knicks), Prigioni was part of the Golden Generation that won bronze in the 2008 Beijing Games, silver and bronze in the FIBA Americas 2003 and 2009, among other achievements.

“My feeling for the National Team is very great, as is my commitment to this group. The Argentina shirt is the most important thing. We are focused, staff and players, on giving the best of each one of us in the tournament that lies ahead”, he said from Recife.

After his retirement, in 2017 and at the age of 39, he was working first in Europe, then in the Brooklyn Nets and in the last almost four years in the Minnesota Timberwolves as an assistant to Ryan Saunders. And then he did it with Chris Finch, along with Joseph Blair and Micah Nori.

“Pablo is an example of improvement and permanent evolution. He had an ascending career as a player and for a long time he remained in the main world competitions. I have no doubt that his career as a coach in the National Team will be the continuity of his constant professional development, ”said Fabián Borro, president of the CAB.