Pelle Larsson was emotional after the 69-84 loss to Olympic silver medallists France in front of 14,750 spectators, according to SVT the largest sports crowd ever at Avicii Arena.
It was the first time Larsson played at Globen, and although Sweden ran out of steam at the end, the team had led 65-64 with only five minutes left in the match.
For Larsson, the busy autograph signing afterwards also meant an emotional farewell to the home fans.
“Like our chances”
Pelle Larsson doesn't know when he will play for the national team next. He will soon be going back to Miami and, like all other NBA players, he will miss the rest of the World Cup qualifiers in November and February.
Sad. But they took me to a European Championship last year, I think they can handle a World Cup too, says the 25-year-old about his teammates.
I think we need to win at least two more games. Hopefully we can win a game against Hungary and then we face Finland again - without me and without (Lauri) Markkanen. I like our chances.
Pelle Larsson did most of the right things in the first half and scored 18 of Sweden's 38 points, which tied the game at halftime.
"It's just pride and joy to be able to play here in front of so many Swedish fans. We're playing an even match against a top team that went far in the Olympics. A great first half, then we get a little tired," says Larsson, who finished the game with 23 points.
I just ran out of energy, made simple mistakes and dropped the ball.
18 points by “Wemby”
France's 22-year-old superstar and giant, 224-centimeter-tall Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.
We handled him well, he's not the one who kills us, says Larsson.
Three of the six teams from Sweden's group will play in the World Cup in Qatar in August-September next year. France has a gap at the top but the places behind are open.
The chances are greater now than before this camp, says team captain Ludvig Håkanson.
What will it be like to play without Pelle Larsson in the future?
It's not the first time, but he's our most important player and our big star. It's going to be tough. But other teams are going to miss their NBA players too.
Six teams are playing in the group and have brought all the results from the first World Cup qualifying phase with them.
Sweden has begun the decisive phase with an away win against Finland and a home loss against France.
The standings in the group: France seven wins, Finland five wins, Sweden, Hungary and Slovenia four wins, Estonia three wins. The top three teams will reach the World Cup in Qatar in August-September next year.
After this qualifying window, four matches remain for all teams. Sweden's schedule:
November 27: Sweden–Hungary, November 30: France–Sweden.
February 25: Sweden–Finland, February 28: Hungary–Sweden.
