He's not the most celebrated of Spanish players but he's easily one of the best.

Jorge Garbajosa, despite his consistently good performances for his country, played second fiddle to Pau Gasol on national team duty at the European Championships but he's the man in the limelight now after his Coppa Italia heroics last week for Benetton Treviso.

Garba was honoured as the most valuable player of the tournament after averaging 20 points in wins over Metis Varese, Oregon Scientific Cantu and Scavolini Pesaro.

No one celebrated as much as Moncho Lopez, the Spain coach.

"This was great news for Spanish basketball," Lopez told PA International.

		“	Everything I know about basketball they taught me at Tau	„
		Jorge Garbajosa

"To have one of our national players stand out in such an important competition as the Lega A makes us very proud."

"It was a surprise to be voted MVP but this was secondary," Garbajosa said to PA International.

"The most important thing was to help the team win the Cup."

It's that "team first, me second" mentality which is helping Spain be among the best sides in the world, and Benetton Treviso the classiest outfit in Italy.

Neither would be the forces they currently are without the 26-year-old Garbajosa. He hails from Madrid, and counts himself among the loyal followers of the football club Real.

But when it comes to basketball, the 2.05m forward will forever be indebted to Tau Vitoria, his first club.

"Everything I know about basketball they taught me at Tau," he said. And everything he's learned about being a pro has been learned in Italy. He never fully appreciated the demands on professional athletes until he joined Benetton before the start of the 2000-1 campaign.

"When I arrived at Treviso, I realised what the word professional really meant," he said.

"I left my family, came to a different country and was able to earn my living. It was the most difficult moment in my career but it was also a crucial moment in my life."

It has certainly paid off.

He captured the Italian league and the Supercup in his second year with Benetton, then repeated the feat the following campaign while also winning the Coppa Italia.

This year, due largely to his contributions, Benetton won the Coppa again and they look good bets to defend their title.

He has been a regular player this season for coach Ettore Messina, averaging 16 points and six rebounds in 19 games and Benetton are top of the Lega A standings.

"He's still very young but he is one of the top players in Europe," said Messina.

Garbajosa is often found soaring to the basket, but he is never too high when he's off the court.

"We have to leave the euphoria after winning the trophy and concentrate now on the league," he said. "We are in the top positions and although it will be difficult we aspire to everything."

What bodes wells for everyone connected to Garbajosa is that he seems to be getting better and better.

His four years at Benetton have transformed him into an all-round player, and the MVP award was proof of that.

"It's a recognition of his many improvements," Messina said. "First, he used to finish (off plays), now he's creating chances."

Garbajosa says much of it is down to the instruction he has received at Benetton from coaches past and present.

"You learn a lot from each coach," he said. "(Piero) Bucchi helped me integrate into a big team and also improve my long shot."

"(Mike) D'Antoni gave me confidence and with (Ettore) Messina I have learned to be focused from the word go right until the end."