Latvia - Janis Blums will be the seventh consecutive Eurobasket

All those veterans out there on the hardwoods of Europe should take note of what Janis Blums is doing just a couple of weeks after helping fire VEF Riga to Latvian league glory.Instead of kicking back on the beach and having a few frosty beverages for an extended break, the 35-year-old Blums has decided to do something else.

"I'm at home in Riga running, swimming," he said to FIBA.com. "I never rest. I like to stay active." If that's what it takes to stay at the top of your game, JUST DO IT! Blums knows his body better than anyone else and if he needs to keep the foot on the accelerator in training to remain in tip-top shape and continue to be a force in basketball, so be it. "Physically, I'm in better shape than I was 10 to 12 years ago," Blums said. "I try to take care of my body. I try to be very professional for each team that I play for, both on and off the court."

The captain of the national team, Blums is on the verge of playing in his seventh consecutive EuroBasket. Latvia will face Belgium, Great Britain, Russia, Serbia, and Turkey in Group D and Blums senses for good reason this summer has the potential to be Latvia's best since he's been involved.

"There will be a lot of media, supporters and fans, spectators because (Kristaps) Porzingis and (Davis) Bertans will probably play and there will also be Euroleague players," he said. "But we'll need to be a team, not individuals. It will be very interesting how we build this team."

"The last few years we've played very well, this national team, but in every tournament, we have a bad loss," Blums said. "Maybe it's because we didn't have one main star but now, we'll have Porzingis and Bertans. I think with these kinds of players, we can fight for something we haven't had before."