Last summer, Sweden's men's national team played their first championship in twelve years.
NBA pro Pelle Larsson looks back on the European Championship summer as one of his best so far.
One of my most fun basketball summers in a long time. First, to train with everyone and hang out together for a month. Not everyone has grown up with each other, but it's such a feeling. Everyone has done the same things when they grew up and intertwined with each other's lives in some way, he says at a digital press conference.
"It was special"
The national team also reached a championship final for the first time, but fell in a dramatic round of 16 against Turkey.
What we achieved was special, he says and continues:
Now we want to do it again and do it better. Now it feels like you know what you can change to go even further.
After the championship, the 24-year-old is back in Florida, where preparations for the season premiere on Thursday night are in full swing.
Despite an impressive rookie season, Larsson does not take any playing time for granted.
Actually, I don't expect anything. It can be a bit dangerous to think that you should get something for free just because you had a good first year. I think I'll go in with the same mindset as the first year and try to earn everything from the start so that the coaches trust me.
Miami's head coach Erik Spoelstra - who visited Larsson in Stockholm during the summer - has previously praised the Swede and sees him as a possible leader in the team's second five.
When the starters are ready on the court and the bench is going in, then there must be someone on the court who is a voice and makes sure everyone is in the right place. He (Spoelstra) thinks I can help with that, says Larsson.
"Then it's going to be great"
A role that he feels more and more comfortable in.
Over the summer, I've gotten to play in teams where I've had a slightly bigger role and more ball. Then the team has often looked at me to find solutions. I had to work a lot on that in the Summer League and in the national team - to help lead the team more and take more responsibility and score points.
How the season will be for Miami is hard to say, Larsson means.
I think we can be one of the teams that are hardest to read for experts. There are many things that you don't really know yet, he says and continues:
We just have to get everyone to play together, and the style of play we have this year is very different. Last year we were the 28th team in "pace", i.e. attack speed, and now during the preseason we were the fifth fastest team. So there are many changes. We just need to be able to tie it together and then it's going to be great.
The premiere match against Orlando Magic starts at 01.00 Swedish time.
NBA is broadcast on HBO Max and Channel 9.
Born: February 23, 2001 (24 years) in Uppsala.
Position: Guard.
Height: 196 cm.
Club: Miami Heat.
Drafted: As number 44 by Houston Rockets 2024, traded directly to Miami.
Rookie season in NBA: Played 59 matches (regular season and playoffs). Larsson averaged 14.2 minutes and 4.6 points per match in the regular season. In the four playoff matches, he averaged 13 minutes and 5 points.
Current: On Thursday night, Larsson will start his second season in the NBA. His club Miami Heat will face Orlando Magic away.
