During my travels, I've encountered some extraordinary people. For the readers of Piratas Del Basket, I want to highlight four of them as they share numerous unforgettable and admirable qualities and, interestingly, all have names that begin with the letter A.
Here we go!
The Great A:
Andrés Montes (RIP), son of a Galician father, was, in a world of black and white sports commentators, a peacock inside a rainbow. His imagination was brilliant! His wardrobe radiated pure jazz! In the world of Spanish basketball, he left a legacy of unforgettable phrases that marked the history of sports journalism in Spain. His style, full of humor, rhythm, and creativity, turned every NBA broadcast into a spectacle.
He created formats through years of unwavering dedication, hours and nights of unforgettable NBA games, and was the father of a new "school" of commentators.
Montes didn't just narrate games; he created universes. His invented language, his nicknames for players, and his passion for jazz music made every broadcast a unique experience. His legacy lives on in the memory of fans and in the vocabulary of Spanish sport.
"JUGON!!", "White Shooter Race", "Ratatatatata!", "Welcome to Jordan Airlines, flight #23", "Life can be wonderful!", "Geppetto Brothers", "White Chocolate" for Jason Williams, "The Divine Bald One" for Manu Ginóbili, and John Starks of the NY Knicks was "Clemenza" from The Godfather, "21st Century" was none other than Tim Duncan, and "ET" was Pau Gasol. I can't even begin to imagine the descriptive nicknames and phrases his multicolored imagination would conjure up for stars like Victor Wembanyama of the SAS or Giannis Antetokounmpo of MIL! To this day I still chuckle when I remember hearing him nickname John Starks, "Clemenza"!
Yes indeed, his unique style was unprecedented, and I bet we'll never see it again.
Rest in peace, Andrés, we will always remember you.
The Perfect A:
The more than perfect colleague, Antoni Daimiel, who, along with Montes, became a household name for Spanish NBA fans thanks to his sincere, insightful, and entertaining commentary. Like Andrés, he worked for major Spanish media outlets such as Cadena SER, Canal+, Cuatro, AS, and El Periódico de Catalunya. Recognized for his profound knowledge of basketball and his unique narrative style, and with a wonderful, lighthearted sense of humor, with statements like this: "After turning 55: 'The biggest midlife crisis I've had wasn't at 40 or 50, it was today, when I got a senior citizen discount.'" Due to the newest changes in the world of TV/cable transmissions our basketball world has lost him. As they say in Spain, Soccer is like that and to now have him commentating there will be Spanish basketballs loss and its soccer gain.
Daimiel, yes sir—"Smooth" was the word! In fact, the word 'honey' (MIEL) is formed within his name... and I'm sure that if honey had its own sound, it would sound like Antoni.
Coach A:
I have coached numerous games both in Spain and internationally and have worked with a wide variety of basketball professionals while having the pleasure of meeting and facing him as a coach. Coach Aito perfectly embodies the terms professionalism and mastery. Dedication could easily be his middle name, and I can sincerely say that he is one of the few people I truly admire. Aíto García Reneses also stands out as one of the most important figures in European basketball, recognized for his tactical innovations, player development, and a coaching career spanning more than five decades.
From January 1974, with Círculo Católico de Badalona, he coached:
• Joventut Badalona • FC Barcelona (15 seasons)• Unicaja Málaga• Sevilla• Gran Canaria
• Alba Berlin• Spanish National Team (2008)
• Trophies and titles:• 9-time ACB champion (1987-2001)• 5-time Copa del Rey champion
• Eurocup champion (2008)• FIBA Saporta Cup champion (1986)
• 2-time FIBA Korać Cup champion (1987 and 1999)• FIBA Euro Challenge champion (2006)
• Olympic silver medal with Spain (2008)
Tactical innovator: He is widely recognized for introducing press defenses and fast-paced offensive systems. I'm reminded of the duo of Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernández at Joventut and their defensive spectacle of run and jump, which was a true pleasure to watch and he was a distinguished advocate for teaching and training players to learn different logistical positions (from a pure center to a power forward and on to the "small" forward position), as he did so very successfully with Andrés Jiménez.
A talent developer: He has mentored stars like Pau and Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernández, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Sarunas Jasikevicius.
And he holds the absolute record: He has coached more than 1,100 games in the Spanish first division with a 67% winning percentage! In 2022, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with him for Piratas del Basket.
In short, two words: charming and authentic. I think it will be quite a challenge, both in Spain and anywhere else, to achieve what he has achieved.
The African A:
Richard Anicet Lavodrama Ondoma, better known simply as Anicet, is one of the most charismatic and intelligent people I have ever met and also was one of the most well-known players in the history of Spanish basketball, the first African to sign a professional contract in the ACB (Spanish Basketball League), and undoubtedly an icon in Galicia.
I have coached many excellent basketball players, including Walter Berry and Andre Turner. I was also with the Nigerian national team at the London 2012 Olympics, but I would have loved to have had the opportunity to coach this man; although it came close, it didn't work out in the end.
When you speak five languages and when your life becomes a global adventure, and have lived in Bangui and Bangassou (Central African Republic). Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, Houston, Texas, Ferrol, Meiras, Valdoviño, Valladolid, Badalona, Madrid, Torrelodones, Málaga, Munich, Geneva, and have visited more than 115 places on 5 continents have been to the Olympic Games and slept in the Olympic Village. You're part of the faculty/speakers for the SportsBizLab Master's program in data analysis and part of the Asis Spain sports and family program and a teacher there, then you're special, no, you're unique and original.
And that the Spanish basketball world has not taken advantage of his abilities is hard to understand.. Very, very far beyond me.
These four men, Andres, Antoni, Aito, and Anicet, all very special, crossed my path, marked my life, and remain in it, either actively or in my memory. And I want to thank them all, both personally and professionally, for enriching my time here.
Thanks for reading, good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck.