BRA - Lima trying to make his mark

MURCIA (Liga Endesa/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - There have been times during his career in Spain that Augusto Lima looked as if he might one day be considered as one of Brazil's top exports.

The 2.06m forward moved to Spain in 2007 as a 16-year-old and joined the Unicaja Malaga juniors.

Lima signed with Clinicas Rincon Axarquia in the LEB Gold for the 2009-10 season but also played with Unicaja until January 2011, when he left for CB Granada and spent the remainder of that campaign with the Andalusian team.

His ascension to the Brazil senior national squad for the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship in Mar del Plata suggested that Lima was coming of age, and that his career was about to take off.

He played at the 2012 South American Championship but wasn't in the team to play at the London 2012 Games.

Last season with Unicaja, he appeared in 22 Turkish Airlines Euroleague games and 17 in the Spanish Liga Endesa.

Lima, now 22, was not with Brazil at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas, Venezuela, where they failed to win a game and crashed out of the tournament after the opening round.

"I hope to wear the shirt of Brazil soon," Lima said in an interview with the country's basketball confederation website.

"Unfortunately, I have had many injury problems that prevented me from being 100% with the team, but God willing, I intend to wear the green and yellow shirt and defend my country as soon as possible.

"The dream of every player is to represent his country."

One injury that Lima has had in the past has been a herniated disc.

If he wants to make it back into Ruben Magnano's Brazil team for this summer, there is another tournament that he craves to be a part of even more.

"This is one of my big dreams," he said. "I hope I will work hard and deserve to have the honor to wear the shirt of Brazil in the 2016 Games.

"It is the greatest gift that an athlete can have."

Lima, who averaged almost 10 points per game last season with Unicaja, erupted for 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in his first game of 2013-14 with Murcia.

There have been other notable performances.

Lima's 21 points and six rebounds very nearly helped Murcia win at second-top Valencia Basket in mid-December, a clash the home side won, 88-86.

His 19 points were key in Murcia's 78-77 home triumph over Bilbao Basket.

The past couple of outings have served as nightmares for himself and the club.

An 83-47 home defeat to Rio Natura Monbus in which Lima scored six points in 15 minutes contributed to the departure of coach Oscar Quintana.

Lima, who had a fever all week, nevertheless dressed out for their weekend game at CAI Zaragoza but only played 12 minutes and missed his only shot in as Marcelo Nicola lost in his coaching debut.

Brazil failed to qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with their winless run in Venezuela.

They are, however, one of 15 candidates to have applied for the four wild cards for the World Cup.

FIBA