Jakob Pöltl, who normally distributes baskets at the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in front of 18,418 spectators in the AT&T Center, which was completely renovated for 110 million US dollars in 2015, returns – if you will – to the basketball Stone Age.
Today, the 26-year-old Viennese appears at the gates of Upper Austria – more precisely in the dainty Salzburg sports hall Alpenstraße, which is the scene of the red-white-red European Championship qualifying duels with Ireland (8:20 p.m., ORF Sport+) and Cyprus (Sunday, 6 p.m.). , ORF Sport+) will be.
Up to 2200 fans can be accommodated in this triple gym. It is questionable whether a star like Pöltl can fill them, because basketball plays a subordinate role in the city of Mozart. This supposed “culture shock” doesn’t bother the US legionnaire at all, he has never forgotten his roots and organizes camps for young people at home to spark enthusiasm for his favorite sport. The flagship knows about its function as a role model.
“I’m here to win”
The anticipation of the comeback in the team jersey after a four-year absence is huge. “I’ve always said that I really enjoy playing for Austria. It’s nice that it worked out again. I’m here to win games,” emphasized the 2.16-meter-tall center after all insurance matters had been positively settled in cooperation with employer San Antonio Spurs.
It goes without saying that team boss Raoul Korner is happy to have a man “who makes the difference”. After three victories in the first four group games, the door to the second phase of the elimination for the EURO 2025 finals is wide open.
The name Pöltl reinforces the role of favourite. A look at his statistics in the NBA is enough, in which Austria’s pioneer has been set since 2016 – first with the Toronto Raptors (until 2018) and for four years with the Spurs. In 438 matches in the best league in the world, Pöltl recorded 3145 points, 2626 rebounds, 620 assists and 534 blocks.
In 2020, Pöltl signed a three-year contract with the Spurs with a total volume of 26.25 million dollars – bonuses not included. The American Internet portal “hoopshype” calculated that Austria’s superstar should actually earn twice as much in terms of his performance.
“I’m currently underpaid, but that doesn’t bother me. If I have to choose between Team A, where the sporting situation is better, or Team B, where I can earn more money, I will always choose Team A,” explained Pöltl, at whose side the Swans-Gmunden ace Benedikt Güttl, courted by BC Vienna, will enter the floor today. Everyone wants to give Coach Korner, who led the WBC Wels to the championship title in 2009, a dignified (temporary) farewell.
His new employer, Hamburg Towers, will not allow the 48-year-old Viennese to have a double function, at least until the summer of 2023. Then the cards are reshuffled.
Source: Nachrichten
