'The Brazilian Blur' Barbosa gears up for his fifth World Cup

RIO DE JANEIRO (Brazil) - Leandro Barbosa has played on basketball's big stages for man years. A long-time player in the NBA who's now winding down his career back home in Brazil, the Sao Paulo native is less than three months away from competing in his fifth FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Barbosa will be with Brazil's national team in Nanjing, China, when the 32-team event gets underway at the end of August. Brazil  will take on New Zealand, Greece and Montenegro in First Round Group F. His first World Cup was in 2002, in Indianapolis.

"The years go fast, I am telling you!" he said to FIBA.basketball. "I've had some great moments in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and I hope that the next one is going to be the best.

“I'M 36 YEARS OLD NOW, BUT MY LOVE FOR THE GAME AND TO REPRESENT MY COUNTRY BY PLAYING IN THE NATIONAL TEAM IS STILL VERY PRESENT.”- Barbosa

"I was a young kid when I first competed on this stage in 2002, but the experience I've gained as a player is priceless. You learn a lot during this kind of competition."

Barbosa played in seven of Brazil's 12 games in the Americas Qualifiers. The team won 9 of its 12 games.

So why he is still so eager to play for Brazil? 

"The love for my country and my love for basketball," he said. "I'm 36 years old now, but my love for the game and to represent my country by playing in the national team is still very present.

"I am very excited for the next challenge, which is playing in the next World Cup, to try to have a great run and to try to qualify for the next Olympics. I love this game, and I enjoy every moment of it."

Barbosa played at the Olympics in 2012, and 2016 when Brazil were hosts. If they're among the top two teams from the Americas at the World Cup in China this summer, Brazil will clinch a spot in next year's Tokyo's Games. They could also play well enough to earn a spot in one of next year's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Barbosa averaged 11.8 points per game at the 2016 Olympics

At the World Cup, Brazil are in what Barbosa says is a "very balanced" group with the Tall Blacks, Greeks and Montenegrins.

"This group isn't going to be easy, the games are going to be very tough to win for each of us, that is for sure," he said. "We all know about Greece and the talent and experience they have, with some NBA guys such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the best players in the world, but we also have to be very focused when we play against Montenegro and New Zealand. Montenegro qualified for the first time and will try to make a good run, and New Zealand play with a lot of intensity, so it’s going to be pretty open for the first two spots of the group."

A top-two finish would put Brazil in Second Round Group K against the top two sides from a Group E that consists of Turkey, Czech Republic Japan and two-time defending champions USA.

The prospect of facing the United States doesn't scare Barbosa. He faced them at the 2010 World Cup in Istanbul when Brazil nearly sprung an upset. Barbosa had 14 points, 4 assists and 4 steals but the Americans won, 70-68.

Barbosa and Brazil nearly upset the USA at the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Istanbul

"When you compete in a tournament like the World Cup, you've got to be prepared and ready for everything, to play against any team, so we'll just keep the same mindset whoever we will play against," he said.

"It's the best team in the world and I played with or against a couple of guys that are most likely going to make the final (USA) roster, but we will compete and play with high intensity against every team as we want to have a long run in China and try to fight for a medal spot."

“I PLAYED IN FOUR EDITIONS ALREADY, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO COMPETING IN A FIFTH THIS SUMMER. I FEEL THE SAME MOTIVATION, THE SAME EXCITEMENT AS MY FIRST TIME.”- Barbosa

Barbosa says it doesn't make sense to look too far ahead, however.

"We aren't going to start predicting against which teams we're going to play against in the next round," he said. "We focus on having a great First Round and after this, we'll take it from there. One thing I'm sure of is that we're going to play with a lot of pride and a lot of intensity."

And so will the teams that Brazil face.

"You have to step up your game; you have to get adjusted to different kinds of basketball as a lot of team play in different ways," he said. "I played in four editions already, and I'm really looking forward to competing in a fifth this summer. I feel the same motivation, the same excitement as my first time."

FIBA