The DNA of basketball runs in Rafael Mineiro's family. The athlete, representing the Pride of the Nation, is no longer the only one in the Flamengo sport and now has the company of his brothers Richard Michel and João Vitor. Playing in the Under-17 and Under-14 categories, respectively, the two are pursuing a similar path to the Flamengo center.

In his first year playing in the Under-17 category, Richard Michel received many compliments from coach Marcos Beegu. "When we did the trial in January, I had a group of about 40 boys, both in the Under-19 and Under-17 categories. It was two weeks of training and I noticed that Richard has talent, he's a point guard and has an excellent physique for basketball. He's fast, has long arms and possesses very good technique. He has good shooting mechanics and I was very impressed," commented Beegu.

Standing out in the trials, Richard earned the coach's vote of confidence even though he didn't live in Rio de Janeiro: "I had no idea he lived abroad. Two days before the trial ended, I asked him where he was from because I wanted to keep him in the Under-17 team. That's when he said he was Rafael Mineiro's brother and that he lived in Minas Gerais. I was hesitant because I already have a nearly complete squad for this year and I didn't know how he could stay here, but we managed to resolve the situation. He's a boy with a lot of potential and he already played for Praia Clube in Uberlândia. I was impressed with his fundamentals."

Born in 2001, Richard will still have to earn his place in the team during his adaptation year. "It will be a year of great learning for him, he won't play much because I already have a more experienced team, but he's a boy I have good prospects for in the future here at Flamengo. He's young, very eager to learn, trains hard every day, is obedient, very honest, and every coach would like to have him on the team. He puts in a lot of effort, asks questions, and is getting along very well with the other boys. He will have a bright future and the opportunity to learn from the older players," said the coach.