MADRID, Sept 4 - Spain's overwhelming victory in the world basketball championship final against Greece was plastered across the front page of every major newspaper in the country on Monday.

"Spanish basketball conquers the world," said EL Pais while La Vanguardia simply said: "Gold!"

Sports daily Marca dedicated the first 35 pages of it's Monday edition to the team's first major international title.

"This Marca is historic: make sure everyone in the family has a copy to keep for the rest of their lives," it told readers.

Most newspapers focused on how the team racked up an impressive 23-point victory without the talismanic Pau Gasol, who was voted the player of the tournament.

The Memphis Grizzlies forward broke a metatarsal in his left foot during the semi-final win over Argentina and was forced to watch the final from the bench.

"If one key to the victory was the defence the other was the group, the team. They moulded NBA quality players into a mentally solid unit," Sports daily Mundo Deportivo wrote.

El Mundo described the team as "a great family."

Credit for that was given to coach Pepu Hernandez, who on the eve of the game learned that his father had passed away but did not tell the players because he did not want to distract them.

With other Spanish sportsmen and women enjoying success at the highest level, commentators exhorted their under-achieving football team to take note of the victory.

Basketball remains the second most popular team sport behind football in the country.

"Spain has proven itself capable of getting to the top of the podium in almost every sport except one," said El Pais.

"Spain are world champions in handball, Rafael Nadal won at Roland Garros, and Oscar Pereiro won the Tour de France. Fernando Alonso was Formula One champion in 2005.....the conclusion is the only one we lack is the same one as always: football."

Spain has to wait two more years before its football team gets a chance to redeem itself at Euro 2008, after yet another disappointing World Cup finals in Germany.

Meanwhile, the country's victorious basketball players have next year's European Championship to focus on -- in Spain.