Invited by Chupeta, Bigu leads technical training
A specialist in Phil Jackson's offensive triangle, the former Flamengo point guard passed on his experience to players.
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
In his 26-year career, Marcos Mendes, known as Bigu, has dedicated 18 of them solely to Flamengo basketball. A former point guard for the club in the 80s and 90s, the teacher and coach at Escola Americana was invited this Tuesday by coach Paulo Chupeta to participate in the team's training session at HSBC Arena and share his experience with the players of the current two-time Brazilian champion and leader in the New Basketball Brazil. For just over an hour, Bigu led the work, always closely observed by the Flamengo coach and his assistant, João Batista.
A basketball scholar, Bigu gained national notoriety in 1994 when he met then-Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, during a clinic in Rio de Janeiro, which also featured star Shaquille O'Neal. As the event's translator at the time, the former Flamengo player ended up becoming close friends with the most successful coach in world basketball, with eleven NBA titles—ten as a coach and one as an athlete—and specialized in the triangle offense created by Phil Jackson.
"He always invites me to the United States to participate in training and preseasons. I went to Chicago three times when he was still coaching the Bulls and about four times to Los Angeles. I had the privilege of attending training sessions, lectures, videos, conferences, and meetings. There I was able to see players like Jordan, Pippen, and Kobe, established stars, dedicate themselves 100 percent to technical training, specifically focusing on fundamentals," explained Bigu.
A speaker at dozens of clinics abroad, Bigu emphasizes the importance of this type of work, even for a mature and successful team like Flamengo. He believes that, no matter how experienced, every athlete needs to constantly improve during training.
"This type of training helps athletes practice the basic fundamentals of the game. Automating these movements in training allows players to execute plays without thinking during matches. Oscar, for example, was almost like a machine when he played, and his movements came naturally. Marcelinho is also a player with refined technique and smooth movement," said the former Flamengo player.
Commander of the current two-time Brazilian champion, Paulo Chupeta praised the participation of his former teammate from his time at Jequiá in training this Tuesday.
"I invited him because Bigu is a basketball scholar and knows how to teach the fundamentals of the game like no other. He's been with Phil Jackson several times in the United States and can share a lot of important information he's seen in NBA team training sessions. Since our Tuesday practice is focused on technical aspects, his presence was a perfect fit," said Chupeta.
A basketball scholar, Bigu gained national notoriety in 1994 when he met then-Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, during a clinic in Rio de Janeiro, which also featured star Shaquille O'Neal. As the event's translator at the time, the former Flamengo player ended up becoming close friends with the most successful coach in world basketball, with eleven NBA titles—ten as a coach and one as an athlete—and specialized in the triangle offense created by Phil Jackson.
"He always invites me to the United States to participate in training and preseasons. I went to Chicago three times when he was still coaching the Bulls and about four times to Los Angeles. I had the privilege of attending training sessions, lectures, videos, conferences, and meetings. There I was able to see players like Jordan, Pippen, and Kobe, established stars, dedicate themselves 100 percent to technical training, specifically focusing on fundamentals," explained Bigu.
A speaker at dozens of clinics abroad, Bigu emphasizes the importance of this type of work, even for a mature and successful team like Flamengo. He believes that, no matter how experienced, every athlete needs to constantly improve during training.
"This type of training helps athletes practice the basic fundamentals of the game. Automating these movements in training allows players to execute plays without thinking during matches. Oscar, for example, was almost like a machine when he played, and his movements came naturally. Marcelinho is also a player with refined technique and smooth movement," said the former Flamengo player.
Commander of the current two-time Brazilian champion, Paulo Chupeta praised the participation of his former teammate from his time at Jequiá in training this Tuesday.
"I invited him because Bigu is a basketball scholar and knows how to teach the fundamentals of the game like no other. He's been with Phil Jackson several times in the United States and can share a lot of important information he's seen in NBA team training sessions. Since our Tuesday practice is focused on technical aspects, his presence was a perfect fit," said Chupeta.