FCBARCELONA.CAT

24.05.2008 23:38

Navarro: special fan

Cristina Collado / Sònia de Alba

Juan Carlos Navarro returned to the Palau this Saturday but only as a fan. This is the first time he has been back since leaving the club last season, and he was delighted to see his old team classify for the final of the ACB.

Gianluca Basile had only just fired home the first three pointer of the game when the attention of many fans was distracted away from the court by another basketball player. It was none other than Juan Carlos Navarro, ‘Bomba' Navarro, who watched the game from courtside with his family. It was the first time that Navarro has been back to the Palau since he left to play for the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA. After the game, Navarro joined his ex-teammates on court to celebrate their classification for the final.

More nervous

Juan Carlos Navarro admitted that when he walked into the Palau for the game he was more nervous than when he used to play there. The ex-Barça guard was also full of praise for the atmosphere in the Palau, and said that “it must have helped the team no end”.

The Beijing Olympics

Juan Carlos Navarro has been on holiday for a month as his team failed to make the play-offs. “Now it’s time for me to take a break,” he said, “and I think I deserve one.” However, he won’t be able to put his feet up all summer as the Beijing Olympics are coming up. Navarro recognises that Spain will start as favourites. “We’ve got a good group and in recent years we’ve been doing really well,” he said. “I hope we go on that way.”