From that golden era that attracted hundreds of thousands of fans to the country's courts, when the Superior Basketball League was developed, an excellent player, a point guard, who goes by the name of CiberCuba, comes to the pages of CiberCuba.Radbel Hechavarria.
Talking to him refreshes plays, donques, disputes after the ball, despite him not having played on a winning team: Occidentales.
Radbel's beginnings in the exciting game of baskets?
I started at the age of 10, under the guidance of a man known by the nickname “Macho”, who realized that I was wasting my talent by always fighting in the neighborhood. So one day he asked me if he wanted to play basketball and I answered, what was it?
Right there I started training with him, in front of his house; that is, on the street, where there was a post with a ring. That's how I started; Every afternoon we trained there.
Were you always a base player, did you like to organize?
I was always a scorer, I loved shooting hoops and making baskets, but one day, playing with the Youth against the senior national team, Miguelito Calderón, coach of the capital teams and the CUBA team, told my coach that at that time he was Néstor Trujillo that I would start playing point guard. From there I was able to combine my two passions: scoring and having control of the game, which is the job of the organizing defender or point guard.
Were you from the high performance pyramid?
Yes, I was from Pre EIDE, EIDE, provincial ESPA, national ESPA and then Cerro Pelado... In the senior team, from 1993 to 2000, always under the aegis of Miguel Calderón, from whom I learned a lot. In a way, he is part of my DNA as a coach, although making differences in terms of the treatment and management of the group, since I operate in the professional field.
In the Cuban Youth National Team I played several international tournaments in the five years between 1990 and 1995, while outstanding among the adults were the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada '99; Pre-Olympic San Juan, Puerto Rico'97; Centro Básquet, Havana, Cuba'97 and Centro Básquet'99 Honduras; In these last two competitions we were champions.
We were also in the Christmas Tournament in Haarlem, Holland '96, Pre-World Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay '96, FIBA Club Champions Tournament '96 and in 1995, Pre-Olympic. Neuquen, Argentina.
Spain, Uruguay, Bolivia, El Salvador, Panama, Brazil, Venezuela, Italy, the Dominican Republic and Mexico are some of the countries where Radbel Hechavarría played as part of the Cuban national team.
You played in the LSB with Occidentales, a non-winning team, but you knew what that League represented for Cuban basketball: the good atmosphere, the packed courts; Many say that basketball surpassed baseball. What do you remember about that, how did it go?
I went through the Superior League with Occidentales, a team lacking identity: we came from different provinces, they always change our coach. We didn't know how to win despite having very good players, individually.
A team with José Luis Díaz, Mago Ponte, “Yuca” Rosell as organizers; René González, a capable guard; power forward, Eliécer Rojas and pivots like Félix Morales and Pedro Cobarrubias, mostly members of the national team, it was to have achieved even one title.
Regarding the show, I think we became the most watched; There were figures from all areas, given at the team level, who at the same time were supported with results at the area level.
By the way, what do you remember from your time on the national team?
As for my teammates, I had Ángel Oscar Caballero, Leopoldo Vázquez, Sergio Ferrer, Héctor Pino, Amiel Vega, Lázaro Borrell, Roberto Simón, Richard Matienzo, Yudi Abreu, Leonardo Pérez, Roberto Carlos and Junior Herrera, Augusto Duquesne, among many others. .
Unquestionably a golden era of men's basketball that does not exist now.
Indeed. My greatest emotion was winning the Centrobasquet tournament in HABANA 1999.
Ideal quintet of Cuban men's basketball of all time?
Base: Roberto Carlos Herrera; escort: Leonardo Pérez; eaves, the Ninja Knight; power forward, Lázaro Borrell and center, Richard Matienzo.
At what age do you say goodbye to CUBA?
After the Pan American Games in Winnipeg '99 I returned without motivation to play due to situations unrelated to the sport itself; There are always obstacles and it is about changing everything. However, when I left I went back to playing and did well.
That's how it is. From 2001 to 2017, the Cuban competed in different clubs in the Argentine Metropolitan League: Platense club, Naútico Hacoaj, Morón sports club, Castelar, as well as with Peñarol of the Bolivian league and the Economía club, Orubo, Bolivia.
Was the transition from athlete to coach easy for you?
The truth is that it was easy for me. Having played as a base all his life (organizing defense, as his name indicates) he was like a coach on the field and was used to managing groups.
Furthermore, I recognize that the Argentine Coaches School has been decisive in me, true pedagogues who have made me take steps towards becoming a coach in professional basketball. It has not been easy; In Cuba I was a player, here I became a coach. I owe Argentina what I am today.
As a coach and assistant, the Cuban has been present at Racing Lawn Tennis San Cristóbal Santa Fé u-17 in 2018; in 2020, the Development League, Ferrocarril Oeste club; 2023, Calero de Potosí club, majors and La Salle, Tarija, in the National League.
I have seen photos where you appear directing girls or boys. Do you find any difficult, which do you prefer?
There are no differences between directing women or men; Simply put, girls tend to be more diligent in terms of individual technique but the methodology is the same, they have the same demands and are even more competitive.
Radbel news?
I am in a new project at the Leones de Potosí club, current champion of the Bolivian league.
Family?
My family here in Argentina started with a very beautiful story. My wife Eugenia Zeballos and I met when the Cuban team came to play in Argentina; Over time we got married and formed this beautiful family that also includes our children, Camilo, 16 years old, and Ana Laura, 21. I can tell you that ours was a crush from Cupid, love at first sight that is sustained and multiplied with the course of life. the days.
Cuban basketball reached the Olympic podium for men and the World Cup podium for girls... now there is nothing! What is your opinion of current Cuban basketball?
Relative to past results, they were excellent. Our basketball, in both sexes, rubbed shoulders with the elite not only of the continent but of the planet; but all that has been left behind.
The world changed and so did sport in general. In the case of our sport, not to mention. Nowadays you have to be constantly training yourself. You have to be inserted in leagues outside of Cuba and I'm not only talking to you about the basketball players but I'm talking to you about the technical directors.
The difference is palpable between the male and female players who play outside with the DTs, authoritarianism is no more in these times, before our DTs were top in America in terms of work methodology but now they are outdated, they cannot be musicians, poets and crazy people, That is to say, every coaching staff must have a PF, scouting video analyst, offensive and defensive assistant, and head coach, but it is claimed that because you have a degree in physical culture you should do everything and that is not the case but well that is my criterion.
As for the hiring, it seems excellent to me, I wish we had had that possibility, that's why it bothers me to see the bad results in the last tournaments in both branches, and many people blaming the players, players, please analyze the contracts well. things and see that our coaches are not up to par with what our players need, please, the minimum conditions they have in their clubs; and that is a topic for another interview.
What do you think?
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