Sweden have never been that big basketball name internationally as it has never qualified for the World Cup and only participated once in the Olympics in 1980 and played at the Euro championships 10 times with the last being in 2013 where they upset Russia. But that doesn´t mean that they don´t produce great players. The biggest names over the years have been guys like Marcus Eriksson, Jonas Jerebko and Jeffery Taylor who all reached the NBA and currently have Pelle Larson and Bobi Klintman in the NBA, but there are also others currently playing for the national team. Guys overseas would die to play in the top league ACB, but it´s very difficult to get there. Currently there have been quite a few guys that have played there or are still playing there like Melwin Pantzar, Tobias Borg, Denzel Andersson, and Nicholas Spires just to name a few. Some guys have been like a mainstay in the ACB with Tobias Borg with 9 seasons and his teammate Ludvig Hakanson who is the currently the leader with 10 seasons and Nicholas Spires was there for 8 seasons. Currently there is another Swedish player with Simon Birgander (209-C-1997) in his 8th season and holding very strong. He is one of those candidates at age 27 that could pass a Borg in the next years and probably have a battle with Hakanson as to who will survive the longest in the ACB. If you ask Birgander today, he will inform you that he has come a long way from 2017 until today being able to survive so long and remain. “I think just my basketball IQ and learning from such great players have helped me develop in to the player I am today. In 2017 I was just a skinny Swedish guy who tried his best to stay as long as possible in the ACB and do as good as he could. Right now I´m a different player. I always try to play the right way and find the best option for the team. Back then I didn’t know that was more to the game then just scoring points and taking rebounds. Now I focus more on being in the right spots, making the right read, helping my teammates and just being an overall better player. I also have a lot more confidence in myself now then I did back then”, stressed Simon Birgander. He understands very well that it was never self-evident that he would stay so strong, so he is enjoying every minute of it. “Well I´m super blessed to be able to play in this league and that I have done it for such a long time makes it even greater. I never thought as a young Swedish player I would arrive to this level and stay here as long as I have. What I enjoy the most about ACB is that it´s such a great league that every team can beat each other, doesn’t matter if you are last in the league or the first. There is always teams giving a fight and stealing games every year. For Example this year when newcomers Leyma Coruna beat last years winners Madrid in their first game of the season”, said Simon Birgander.

The Swedish big man who lists Luka Doncic as the toughest player that he ever battled in his career so far was born on October 23, 1997 in Kvistofta Sweden. He began his basketball career with (Basketettan) an din his last season at the age of 18 was dominating his home land league and averaged 11.8ppg, 13.1rpg, 3.8apg, 1.5spg, 5.7bpg, 2FGP: 49.6%, FT: 48.5%. “Those early years were very important for me. I played a lot of minutes and took a lot of responsibility on the court. Also I learned that you had to work hard to go somewhere and always believe in yourself. Isak was important for my development because he was the coach who gave me the “keys“ to our team. He made me take a lot of responsibility on the court and really got the best out of me. Giving me that confidence and believing in me as he did really helped me believe that I could reach somewhere in the basketball world”, commented Simon Birgander. It was only fitting then that he take the next step and did going to Spain. In that same season he moved to Natural Rioja Vintage Clavijo Logrono (Spain-EBA) averaging 7.6ppg, 9.7rpg, 1.2apg, Blocks-1 (3.8bpg), FGP: 54.1%, FT: 79.2% and in the 2016-2017 season made the next step and balled with 16-2017: Cocinas.com CB Clavijo Logrono (Spain-LEB Gold) averaging 4.0ppg, 4.1rpg. “Those years helped me a lot. I was just a young Swedish guy who only played semi professional basketball before that. I learned all the ins and outs of being a professional, how the practice the right way and how to they play basketball in Spain”, expressed Simon Birgander.

The center who lists Nicolas Laprovittola, Kyle Guy, Rodi Kurucs, Luke Harangody, Ante and Tomic as his 5 best teammates of all-time then made the massive jump to the ACB in 2017 and played with Club Joventut Badalona until 2023. He is a player that never averaged more than 19 minutes in a ACB season there, but the competition was fierce with so many first class players, but he was that lethal role player that just came on the court and did his job. It is only fitting that he had many great memories there “The greatest moment with Penya was when we saved the club from going down and celebrated it with all our fans. We were having a terrible season but in the end of it somehow we won like 8 of the last 10 games and it was such a great feeling to stay in ACB. Another great feeling was when we played Copa Del Rey at home, a full arena with all the fans. Yes its more or less a second home for me, made some great friends and people there, made some great memories and grew a lot as a person and in the end as a father also (my son was born in Cataluña)”, smiled Simon Birgander. He also battled against top Euroleague teams Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and beat them twice in the playoffs. “My fondest memories playing against them were when we beat Madrid the first game away in the ACB semifinals after a masterclass from Kyle Guy. Against Barca my fondest memory was playing against Pau Gasol one of the best big guys in history”, remembered Simon Birgander. He played with so many incredible players in that time listing Ante Tomic and American Luke Harangody as some of the best. “My greatest memories with Ante is just what a great person and teammate he is. Always there if you needed anything and giving u tips and tricks when you need it. I helped me with my game about how to pass the ball, how to move to be in the best positions possible and also the deadly floater he has (which I stole a little). I have played with a lot of great Americans and all of them thought me something different. The American who had the biggest influence on me was Luke Harangody, we were very good friends and he really showed me how to be a great professional on and off the court”, stated Simon Birgander. In his first season, he lost twice to Real Madrid and Luca Doncic and he almost had a triple double in the second game. A story for the grand children one day. “I don´t remember a lot from that game against Luka Doncic. All I remember he made a crazy and one layup against me and that he was a crazy talent. Yes I thought back then he would be a great NBA player, I didn’t think he would kill it as he is right now but you could see the talent he had”, stressed Simon Birgander.

The rebounding ace who lists MJ, Lebron, Kobe and Shaq on his current NBA Mount Rushmore is currently playing with Universidad Catolica de Murcia CB. Last season he had his strongest ACB season averaging 10.7ppg, Reb-2 (6.9rpg), 1.2apg, FGP: 62.9%, FT: 75.7%; BCL: 5 games: 7.2ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 61.5%, FT: 66.7%. “It´s been a great experience playing for UCAM. It´s like a big family with all the people working at the club and helping each other out. There is always people to help you with whatever you need and I really appreciate that. Yes the organization is taking big steps and every year we are getting better and better, just the one and a half years I have been here I really noticed how much growth we have made”, said Simon Birgander. The team is playing solid in both competitions and who knows maybe a title could be achieved this season? “I think our biggest strength is our chemistry both on the court but also outside. This year we have been a little up and down in some games but I think every game we are getting better and the dream of course would be to win a title with UCAM”, warned Simon Birgander. Despite having an overall great season last season, it wasn´t without adversary. He had a lightening 3 months and then was injured for 4 months and returned and couldn´t find back to his form. “It was a very tough year both physically and mentally. Of course it was tough when I got injured in my best moments but honestly the hardest part was to come back after 3 months and still having pain, which led to me having to take a break in the end of the season and heal 100 precent. It was a super tough decision to decide to stop right before the last regular season game but what I learned from it was that I need to listen to my body to be 100 precent and it´s just worse for me psychically but mostly mentally to play at 30 precent of my capacity”, remembered Simon Birgander.

The ex Badalona player who is not sure who his Goat is at the moment as he is swinging back and forth between Michael Jordan and Lebron James also has been a main stay with the Swedish national team first as a U-18 and U-20 player and the moved to the men´s team in 2017. He is looking forward to facing Germany again in 2 qualifying games for the Euro 2025. He last played against Germany in 2022 before Germany began their run of winning a Bronze and Gold medal and showed his true class scoring 8 points and grabbing 10 boards.” I don´t remember much about the game and I just remember that they kicked us out of the court physically and you noticed that they were a great team and that they would achieve great things”, stated Simon Birgander. Even if he Germany are the current world champions, it won´t be extra special, but just another day at the office. “It´s great to play against a team like Germany and who are World Champions and one of the strongest NTs in the world. it doesn’t feel overwhelming because it´s always fun to play against the best teams and try to matchup against them. So I think the best thing to do is just see it as 2 normal games and play as hard as possible”, warned Simon Birgander. Even if the NBA and Euroleague players will be absent, one can still expect a high quality game. “I think we will be very motivated but not just because we play against Germany more so because we play games to qualify for the EuroBasket which Sweden haven’t done in many years. I think we have some chances to win especially at our homecourt where we always fight to the max. it also helps they don´t have their Euroleague or NBA players. but there is still a lot of great players who is going to play”, added Simon Birgander. One player to watch for Sweden will be Melwin Pantzar who is on his way of having a break out season in the ACB. “I think Melwin is having a breakout season yes and I´m so happy for him. A great guy who really worked his way up to getting minutes in the ACB and right now is killing it. I think for sure in the future he could be a Euroleague player and play good there”, stated Simon Birgander. The team has experienced big men and his role isn´t only to make room in the zone and get rebounds, but also has another vital duty. “We have had the same big guys for a while now with different roles all of us and I think my role as a 5 is to be a type of leader on the court. Talk as much as possible trying to help with little things and be a positive guy just all around. outside the court I´m more of a jokster who jokes around a lot with jokes and stuff. I think that is also important to have a good relationship with everyone”, smiled Simon Birgander. Germany will have to be more than ready for these 2 qualifying games as Swedish basketball continues to grow, “I think the state of Swedish basketball is one the rise and we have great chemistry. All of us are friends and we love playing together. We have a lot of young guys on the rise like our two NBA boys Pelle Larsson and Bobi Klintman, but also players like Eliot Cadeu who is playing in North Carolina at a great level”, warned Simon Birgander. At the age of 27, he is in his prime now and so are many other players. This is a very exciting time for Swedish basketball and Simon Birgander as he just continues to play the game the right way and keeps his ACB market value hot.