The last active player from the golden generation that triumphed in Athens 2004 has brought his long career to an end
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The last survivor of the Golden Generation has brought down the curtain. Carlos Delfino, a member of the historic team that won Olympic gold in Athens 2004, announced his retirement from professional basketball and put an end to a 27-year career. With his departure, the cycle of the group that forever changed the history of Argentine basketball has definitively closed.
"I'm not playing anymore. I didn't start the season, I'm not training, and I'm not running, which is already a lot," said Lancha, 43 years old, in a conversation with Doble Doble alongside Julio Lamas. "I'm watching a lot of basketball and there are moments when I miss it, but I feel good physically and that is priceless. I'm not playing anymore," he added.
Delfino no jugaba desde marzo
The former NBA player explained that the decision came when he lost the motivation to keep training: "A few months ago, a moment came that I thought would never come, which was making excuses to go train and not feeling like it."
"The truth is I got really well, because I suffered many injuries, I suffered a lot with my body and at one point I stopped for almost four years. It was a mix of things and I said, 'the time has come.' This time I said, 'I'm well, I'm whole, and I can choose myself.' I feel that it's done and I can leave in peace," he added,
Delfino, who last season played for Benedetto XIV Cento in Italy's Serie A2, also hinted at what his next step might be: "I'm looking into the possibility of becoming a coach," he confessed.
Lancha's career
Trained at Libertad de Sunchales and Unión de Santa Fe, Delfino built a career that took him from Italian basketball to the NBA, where he wore the jerseys of Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Houston Rockets.
Delfino se lesionó en el mejor momento de su carrera
In this last team, he reached his best level, although it was also the beginning of a long nightmare: a fracture in the scaphoid of his right foot forced him to undergo seven surgeries and spend almost four years without playing.
With the Argentina National Team, Lancha was a protagonist in one of the most glorious eras of national sports: Olympic champion in Athens 2004, bronze medalist in Beijing 2008, two-time Americup champion (2011 and 2022), and runner-up at the 2002 Indianapolis World Cup, where he was part of the squad that broke the U.S. hegemony. Over more than 15 years with the albiceleste jersey, he established himself as one of the most complete and versatile players of his generation.
Delfino fue parte del oro olímpico en Atenas 2004
Despite the injuries, he returned to compete at the highest level. First, he defended Boca's colors in the National League and then returned to Europe to end his career in Italy, where he remained active until 2025.
With his retirement, Delfino puts an end to the Golden Generation, a group that not only made history with Olympic gold, but also left an indelible legacy of talent, commitment, and love for the Argentine jersey.
