Spain have captured their second basketball World Cup, defeating Argentina 95-75 to give Marc Gasol a rare double-title year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tournament MVP Ricky Rubio scored 20 points and Sergio Llull added 15 for Spain (8-0), the ninth team to make it through a World Cup or world championship unbeaten, while Gasol scored 14 for the winners, who never trailed on Sunday.
For Gasol, it was historic.
The Toronto Raptors centre becomes the second player to win an NBA title and a FIBA world gold medal in the same year, joining Lamar Odom, who did it for the Los Angeles Lakers and USA Basketball in 2010.
Gasol also became the 19th player to win either an NBA or WNBA crown along with a gold medal, either of the Olympic or World Cup variety, in the same year.
And he's the first to accomplish that feat while representing a nation other than the US.
"NBA champion and a World Cup champion as well," Gasol said.
"What can I say? How does it sound to you? I feel very fortunate to be in this position and be able to play this game and help these guys be part of history of Spanish basketball."
Llull and team captain Rudy Fernandez went to cut down the nets shortly after the final buzzer.
Gasol carried the game ball to the gold medal ceremony, and Spanish fans wept in the stands during the national anthem.
Gabriel Deck scored 24 points for Argentina (8-1), who got off to a slow start and played uphill the rest of the way. Luis Scola was held to eight points, shooting 1 for 10 from the floor.
"We're sad right now. We're very sad," Scola said.
"But I feel confident, in hours, we'll be able to look back and be very proud. They just played better than us. They were better. They deserved to win. They were the better team in the game and the tournament."
Spain led 43-31 at intermission, after putting together a 14-2 run to open the game and a 17-1 run later in the half.
"This is basketball," Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez said.
"If you play better than the other team, you win the game. And Spain was the best team today."
Scola, even at 39 years old still Argentina's best player throughout the tournament, didn't get on the scoresheet until he made a pair of free throws with 2:57 left in the third quarter.
But they only cut the Spain lead to 19, and by then the Argentinian fans who stood, sang and chanted for much of the game were relatively quiet.
The day belonged to Spain.
And the year belongs to Gasol.
"It's unbelievable," Gasol said.
Australian Associated Press