The Carioca basketball tournament is about to begin! This Saturday, Maracanãzinho hosted the press conference marking the opening of the 2020 State Championship. The stadium, home of the competition, hosted the event, broadcast live on Fla TV. Besides Mais Querido, Tijuca, Niterói, Municipal, and Atitude are all vying for the title.

One of the representatives of Pride of the Nation, coach Gustavo De Conti, participated in the first round of interviews, reserved only for coaches.

"For me, it's a pleasure to be competing in the State Championship alongside these teams because it shows the organization of the federation and these teams. (...) It's great to see super traditional Rio basketball teams gaining space and returning to the professional basketball scene," Gustavinho began, then talking about the possibilities for the squad.

"There aren't many starters and substitutes. It's not like soccer, where you start with eleven players and can change a few. In basketball, it's completely different; we can change players all the time. So we'll carefully analyze our opponents, how they start games, and we'll try to start with a team that's well-suited to a particular opponent. We might start one five in one game and another in another. We'll carefully analyze the teams and see what works at the moment," he explained.

After the question round for the coaches, it was the athletes' turn to get involved. FlaBasquete star Olivinha lamented the absence of Nação, but emphasized the need for it at the moment.

"A championship without fans, especially for me, will be very difficult. I'm used to Flamengo fans constantly supporting us, making this party happen. I'm a guy who puts a lot of energy into the match, and I always try to bring a bit of the nation onto the court as well. It'll be difficult to see Maracanãzinho, a giant arena like this, without fans. It'll be a new experience, but given what we're experiencing, we have to start getting used to it," said the Flamengo fan.

In his 17th season wearing the Sacred Mantle, Olivinha has already won nine state titles. A national idol, the player spoke about the honor of representing the Most Beloved for so long.

"It's an honor to be recognized as one of Flamengo's greatest players, a club where many other great athletes have played, and I'm here to write a bit of my story, helping Mengão win some titles and victories. I'm very proud of everything I've accomplished. There's another season ahead, so I'll try to do my best to help Flamengo always be in the best positions," said the power forward.

The biggest champion in the competition's history, FlaBasquete begins its quest for its 46th title next Monday (28). The Pride of the Nation's first opponent will be Atitude, at 20:15 pm. All Flamengo matches will be broadcast live on Fla TV.