In just a few short weeks we get to have the NBA back in our lives, but in the meantime many of our favorite athletes are back home overseas playing for their national teams.

Our very own Juancho Hernangomez is suited up to compete in the European league, Eurobasket, with his home country of Spain. Juancho gets to share this moment with his brother Guillermo “Willy” Hernangomez of the New York Knicks who will also play for the Spanish national team.

Juancho and Willy are very close, and today Juancho shared a special note from his brother as they get ready to head into competition together.

Get out your tissues, folks.

Querido Juancho: Hoy es un día muy especial, para ti, para mí y para nuestra familia. No sólo vas a debutar en un partido oficial de la Selección sino que vamos a estar juntos. ¿Recuerdas cuando éramos pequeñajos y jugábamos en la canasta del jardín de casa? Podíamos estar allí horas y horas. Casi nunca acabábamos los partidos y uno de los dos se enfadaba porque nos hacíamos trampas, no nos pitábamos las faltas… siempre tenías que ganar tú. Siempre has sido muy imaginativo, con mucha energía, vocación de deportista. Tan imaginativo que siempre te veía con un palo en la mano, luchando contra monstruos que a veces te mataban en el campo de batalla, al menos te tirabas al suelo y ahí te quedabas. Algo realmente curioso porque cuando eres pequeño e imaginas una guerra, una batalla, siempre quieres ganar. Tú eras diferente. En casa los días de partido son especiales, ¿verdad? A mí es unos de los días que más me gustan, ya sea para verlo en familia por la tele o que vinieran todos al pabellón a vernos jugar y luego irnos a comer o cenar y comentar todos los detalles. Son momentos en los que la familia es feliz, en los que estamos unidos por el baloncesto. Recuerdo la primera vez que jugamos uno contra otro, un Estu-Real Madrid. Fue algo simplemente espectacular. ¿Y cuándo nos enfrentamos por primera vez en la NBA? Fue un sueño hecho realidad, algo único que no creo que podamos describir. Sólo al recordarlo se me pone la piel de gallina, o ver el video en el que después del partido nos abrazamos… Ya tuvimos la suerte de coincidir en la sub 20, ¿recuerdas? Fue una gran experiencia. Ganamos la medalla de plata, pero lo mejor es que jugar contigo es muy divertido, nos compenetramos muy bien. Y ahora vamos a vivir esto juntos. ¡Un Eurobasket! Cuando salimos los dos en la lista de seleccionados fue una noticia maravillosa para la familia y a mí me hace una especial ilusión tenerte a mi lado. Te lo mereces. Juancho, simplemente te quiero dar un consejo de hermano: sé feliz, disfruta, diviértete, aprovecha cada momento y vive al máximo la experiencia de estar aquí. No lo vas a olvidar nunca, al igual que yo tampoco podré olvidar lo que se siente al jugar por fin juntos!

A post shared by Juancho Hernangomez Geuer (@juanchiviris41) on

Dear Juancho: Today is a very special day for you, for me and for our family. Not only will you debut in an official match of the National Team but we will be together. Remember when we were kids and we played in the basket of the home garden? We could be there for hours and hours. We almost never finished the games and one of the two was angry because we cheated, we did not pit our faults … you always had to win.

You have always been very imaginative, with great energy, vocation as an athlete. So imaginative that I always saw you with a stick in your hand, fighting monsters that sometimes killed you on the battlefield, at least you would throw yourself on the ground and there you would stay. Something really curious because when you are small and imagine a war, a battle, you always want to win. You were different. At home party days are special, right?

To me it is one of the days that I like the most, to see it in family on the TV or that all come to the pavilion to see us play and then go to eat or dine and discuss all the details. These are times when the family is happy, in which we are united by basketball. I remember the first time we played against each other, an Estu-Real Madrid. It was simply spectacular.

And when do we play for the first time in the NBA? It was a dream come true, something unique that I do not think we can describe. Just remembering it gives me goosebumps, or see the video in which after the game we embrace … We were fortunate enough to coincide with the U20, remember? It was a great experience. We won the silver medal, but the best thing is that playing with you is a lot of fun, we get on very well.

And now let's live this together. A Eurobasket! When we left the two in the list of selected was wonderful news for the family and it makes me a special illusion to have you by my side. You deserve it. Juancho, I just want to give you brother advice: be happy, enjoy, have fun, take advantage of every moment and live to the full the experience of being here. You will never forget it, just as I will not be able to forget what it feels like to finally play together!

*Translation courtesy of Google Translate