Contenidos
Navarro comenzó a jugar con el club senior masculino del FC Barcelona a los 17 años, debutando en la Liga ACB española el 23 de noviembre de 1997. Ese año fue seleccionado para asistir al Nike Hoop Summit, pero optó por quedarse en Europa, y jugar en el equipo profesional del Barcelona. Debido a sus obligaciones con el club, tampoco estuvo en la selección española junior que ganó el Torneo Albert Schweitzer, en Mannheim, en 1998.
En la temporada 2001-02, Navarro se vio afectado por las lesiones, lo que hizo descender su cotización en el Draft de la NBA. Finalmente, los Washington Wizards seleccionaron a Navarro en la segunda ronda (con la 40ª elección global) del draft de la NBA de 2002. Posteriormente, Navarro rechazó la oferta de contrato de los Wizards, ya que prefería seguir en el FC Barcelona.
El 3 de agosto de 2007, los Washington Wizards traspasaron los derechos del draft de Navarro a los Memphis Grizzlies, a cambio de una futura elección de primera ronda del draft. Navarro se reencontraría más tarde con su antiguo compañero del FC Barcelona y de la selección española Pau Gasol, en los Grizzlies[5] Tras conseguir la recompra de su contrato de 10 millones de euros con el FC Barcelona, Navarro firmó un contrato de un año con los Memphis Grizzlies de la NBA, con los que jugó durante la temporada 2007-08.
However, ‘Juanki’ prefers to stay in the background, letting his daughters carve their own path. He knows that’s his role and that’s how he interprets it, knowing that the real goal of every boy who plays sports is to have a good time. “I try to consult her a little bit, we already know how the father-daughter relationship goes sometimes, but the important thing is that they have fun, that they have a good time, that they learn, that those hours they are training or playing help them improve. If they are in this to enjoy themselves, they will improve in the future”, insists Juan Carlos Navarro, who has another younger daughter competing in the MIC Tournament in Barcelona, so he will shorten his presence in Zaragoza to see them both in action.
If a few days ago Juan Carlos Navarro showed the marksmanship he still has after his retirement with a video in which he scored seven consecutive sprint shots, now it has been the turn of his daughter Lucia, in a shooting session also at the home of the crack of Sant Feliu.
The daughter of Juan Carlos, international in youth categories, has emulated her father with an impeccable shooting session also, this time assisted by her father. A good way to keep improving even in confinement.
You have taken a step forward by winning the third game. It was very important after not having started very well. I think in the first game they gave us a scare. We went out confident thinking the series was going to be easy but since we arrived in Russia I’ve seen everyone much more into it.
They are a great team, they already gave us problems in the regular league. They are very well coached and play very good basketball, they create problems for us in many ways. But we are in a playoff, where details are key. I have lived through many playoffs and this can happen.
Yes, without a doubt. In his day he had a lot of character and cared about everyone. He is a great leader. He loves basketball and Barça, and everything indicated that he was going to be a coach. After succeeding in Zalgiris, the next natural step was to be in a big team like this one.
I have been very well received by all the players. Saras and the staff already knew me. We know that we have entered a very delicate moment of the season and we didn’t want to bother the team too much, we wanted it to follow its course and for these two weeks to be focused on the playoffs.
