Marcin Gortat, regarded as one of the best basketball players in Polish history, has publicly criticized Latvia's national basketball team coach, Sito Alonso, for his decisions during recent World Cup qualifying matches. The Latvian team faced Poland twice in October 2027, suffering defeats in both encounters, with the Polish team emerging victorious in a closely contested match in Riga. Gortat's remarks came during a review of the games on his podcast, 'PostPrime', where he expressed concern over the state of the Latvian side under Alonso's leadership.

Gortat pointedly remarked on Alonso's coaching, deeming him a "catastrophic coach" based on the team's performance, which has seen Latvia secure only one win in four matches so far in the qualifying series. The criticism stems particularly from what Gortat identifies as Alonso's poor decision-making, which he believes has significantly hindered Latvia's chances of qualifying for the World Cup. The player made it clear he could not understand how Alonso could even face the media after such results, highlighting the disconnect he perceives between the coach’s actions and the team's dire situation.

Latvia's struggles in the World Cup qualifiers not only bring pressure to Alonso but also raise questions about the future of the team and its strategies. With Gortat's criticism resonating within the basketball community, attention will be focused on how the Latvian basketball federation responds to these challenges and whether they will pursue changes in coaching or training approaches to improve the team's prospects in future matches.