This season, Flamengo once again participated in the NBA preseason. Facing the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center, Flamengo returned from their trip with a wealth of experience, which will be key to their improved performance throughout the season in the Novo Basquete Brasil and South American League competitions. Alexandre Póvoa, Vice President of Olympic Sports, highlighted the importance and relevance of their entire experience in Florida in an interview with the Official Website.

"It's a dream for all of us. We've been invited for the fifth time in four years, so it's a great honor. There are significant differences between NBA basketball and FIBA ​​(International Basketball Federation) basketball, especially in terms of physicality, but it was an excellent experience for us. I don't think we played to our full potential, but we're very happy because it was a great experience. We're well prepared to start the NBB next week. We won ten games in the Campeonato Carioca, and this match served as a learning experience for the rest of the season. In two weeks, we begin our journey in the South American Championship, so we're very satisfied and will try to return next week, since we're on the NBA route, and this exchange is very important," Póvoa emphasized.

In terms of marketing, the match also yielded positive results. The Flamengo brand was once again linked to the world's greatest basketball team, representing the club's greatness. 

"This is brand appreciation. Internationalization is the club's goal as a whole, and I think basketball is on a very good path in this regard. In the last six years, we've won the Liga de las Américas and the World Championship and played five games against NBA teams, so Flamengo's name is recognized worldwide, and this has enormous value for the club. Beyond the sporting aspect, from a brand perspective, it's an intangible gain, and that's priceless," commented the VP. "Playing in the biggest basketball league in the world, which is the greatest competition of all sports in terms of professionalism, marketing, and media, is inexplicable. Nothing compares to being on this circuit, and it's an honor to see how Flamengo has progressed over the last six years," he concluded.

Back in Brazil, FlaBasquete is preparing to debut in the sport's biggest national competition, the NBB. The Pride of the Nation's first match will be next Saturday (13), at 18 pm, against Basquete Cearense, at the Olympic Training Center, in Fortaleza (CE).