Spain beat Argentina 95-75 to win the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time since 2006 on Sunday.
Their victory in the final capped a stunning campaign for a squad considered among the rank outsiders when the 32-team tournament began.
The Spaniards scored first and never relinquished the lead, relying on swarming interior defence and superior rebounding to snuff out the offensive threat of 2004 Olympic champions Argentina.
Point guard Ricky Rubio racked up 20 points and three assists and Marc Gasol and Willy Hernangomez swatted three shots each as Spain pulled down 47 rebounds, 20 more than Argentina.
For Gasol it was the crowning achievement of an incredible year that saw him win an NBA World Championship with the Toronto Raptors before leading his national team to glory.
His 33 points in the semi-final victory over Australia put them in position to fight for the gold medal, but it was his defence that put them on the top step of the podium.
From the opening tip, the…
Source: Thisday Newspaper
