Batucadas # 2: The word around the Brazilian campfire

[by Gustavo CARDOSO] -  Tough week as the women’s NT got booted out of Beijing, after disapointing losses to South Korea, and Latvia. Australia, and Russia were expected to be tough match ups, but at the end Paulo Bassul’s campaign as head coach ended earlier than he thought. Magic Paula  said she cannot cope with the fact that Brazil doesn’t learn from its mistakes. Yes Paula, maybe in 2009...

- Switching gears to market news. Last week, in a Mourning Journal report by Bob Finnan, which discussed the Cavs-Bucks-Thunder trade, Danny Ferry reportedly said the Cavs still have some flexibility with the expiring contracts of Szcerbiak, Snow, and Varejao. Would the Brazilian pack his things, and say farewell to the Flats sometime in February? I admit I have no fond memories of Ohio winters.

- Many thought Alex Garcia would remain in Europe and head to Lithuania’s Zalgiris Kaunas. Think again. Universo Brasília, the 2006/2007 Brazilian National Champion, has “repatriated” him. The nation’s capital squad is also expected to have Rafael “Baby” Araújo, the most disliked man in Toronto, in their starting center position.

- Extra, extra! A reliable source has confirmed that Franca Basquete and Vivo (one of Brazil’s largest mobile telecom companies) have sealed a sponsorship agreement.

- Brazilian back up players in Athens have also put their pens to work in Europe. Fulvio Chiantia de Assis will play for Pallacanestro Roseto in Lega Due. According to a website that covers the team, the Brazilian will be a starter in the 08/09 season.

- Hatila Passos, one of Brazil’s top NCAA players last season, will play in Switzerland for Rhone Basket, informs Kingstone Ibbc’s website. Definitely a downgrade after much was expected from a dude that averaged over 10 points in his senior season, and was even drafted to the National Team’s B Squad in Chile.

- Victor Ramalho, another NCAA Brazilian graduate, is in Uruguay, where he will play for current LUB champions Biguá. Are canarinhos with NCAA knowledge, on the rise as substitutes for more expensive American players?

- As Cesta Certa reported, Chile continues to provide room and board for Brazilian ballers. The last name heading west was Lucas Costa, who played for Saldanha da Gama last season. He will join Boston College (not the one from the ACC, but from Chile’s Dimayor), a club that in recent years used the services of Adriano Machado.

- You’ve probably never heard of “Morro”, a young 23 year old 6’11 Brazilian player. Not that you were supposed to, but this guy was hyped up as the new Brazilian big kid on the block back in 2006, when he got the chance to sweat it out in some NBA workouts. After that it was D-League time, where he was waived by the Dakota Wizards, and benched by Tulsa. The US dream was over, and he landed at Pinheiros’ Cadinho. Anyway, he is back on the spotlight as Veja Magazine concluded a special report on “the biggest things in São Paulo”. He is the biggest (tallest) player in the city. “Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice”, says Borat.

- And to wrap up the second of many batucadas, we have a quick video interview from LUB TV with Shane “The Dribbling Machine” Woney giving his side of the story on Brazilian streetballers that were in Harlem, NYC, to take part on the first of many exchange trips scheduled under the SPNY Partner Cities program between São Paulo, and New York.