With his headband, three-point shooting, and lightning-fast drive, he stood out and became one of the standout players in the 2008-2009 season's National and South American title campaigns. Jefferson is also one of the key players on Flamengo's basketball team this year. However, with a sprained foot on the eve of the team's departure to compete for their second South American League championship in Argentina, the player had to watch from home as the team was eliminated from the competition and also saw the Flamengo win the first two matches on their way to their third national championship.

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"I was upset that I couldn't help the team. Maybe with me, Fred, and Alírio's presence, the result would have been different. I was sad, yes, but I hope to contribute in the Brazilian Championship and the Liga das Américas. I'm preparing for that, to help the team as much as possible to achieve the results we want," said Jefferson.

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With his left ankle injured nearly three weeks ago, Jefferson is now in the final stages of recovery. Currently undergoing physical therapy sessions with Ricardo Machado, Marcelinho's brother and Flamengo's physical therapist, the number 18 believes he should be fit for the match against Londrina on the 20th at 19 p.m. in Londrina.

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"I'm already able to run, but I still can't jump. I did some tests with Ricardo, but we're going to hold off for a while and I won't be back for the Joinville game. I'll have to wait a bit and work on getting into Londrina. I think I can recover well and get back into game rhythm little by little," said the power forward.

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The arrival of Guilherme Teichmann, who plays in the same position as him, doesn't alarm Jefferson. On the contrary, it makes him happy with the strength of the squad. According to him, this is one of the main factors that has led Flamengo to achieve so many good results in recent years. Despite this, he doesn't consider the Gávea team a clear favorite for a third title.

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"Everyone has their place on the team, the squad is very good, and the most important thing is that we all work together to achieve the main objective, which is the title. I think the championship is very competitive, and there's no way to pick a favorite yet. Many teams can still improve, and we have many strong teams in the running, like Minas, Paulistano, Brasília, and Pinheiros," he analyzed.

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Before joining Mengão, Jê, as he's nicknamed by his teammates, played college basketball in the United States, played in Hungary, and also played for other Brazilian clubs, including Ribeirão Preto and Londrina. At Gávea, he and the rest of the team are still waiting to finalize their contracts with the club for this season.

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"We spoke with Carlos Eduardo Maya, vice president of Olympic sports, who assured us that our contracts are already with the legal department and will be signed by Friday. This is very important to us," revealed the player, who promises all possible commitment, not only from himself but also from his teammates, in the fight for the third national championship. "We want the title. For ourselves, for our families, for our coach, and for the Flamengo fans, who are wonderful and always behind us."