FlaBasquete is the Pride of the Nation, and that's no secret. But how did our athletes begin their careers with the orange ball? In the "Free Throw" special, the Official Website of the Most Beloved tells a bit about the history of the players on the red-and-black squad. The first player is an NBB champion with the Sacred Mantle, a two-time state champion, and a Super 8 Cup champion. With several appearances for the Brazilian National Team, forward Jhonatan Luz spoke exclusively about his successful career on the court.

First contact with basketball

"The first time was watching a Michael Jordan game on television. Then, when I was 10, my cousin Edison took me out of school saying I was going to the dentist, but in reality I went to take my first basketball tryout."

The moment he realized he wanted to be a professional gamer

"It was when I was 16 or 17 years old. I moved from my first club, Club Esperia-SP, to Paulistano and they introduced me to José Neto, who was the coach of the professional team. He welcomed me right away and I told him I wanted to play for the first team."

The first game as a professional

"It was incredible, but also very difficult! My first game was against Telemar-RJ and right away, the first player I marked was Marcelinho Machado. We lost the match, but it was amazing to be on the court."

remarkable games

"Look... I have several, but I'll mention two in particular. The first was during my time at Paulistano, against Basquete Cearense, where I attempted and converted eight shots from the three-point line. The second is more recent, it was against Instituto Córdoba. We were down 20 points in the first half, and in the second half we managed a historic comeback and won the game."

Arrival at Flamengo

"It was very busy. I had just won the NBB and had a stint with the Brazilian National Team, so I didn't have much time to get to know the club; I arrived already training. After a while, it all sunk in and I realized that I was really at Flamengo."

What could be decisive in winning the second Americas championship?

"I think our determination. Our will to win will always be essential to achieving our main objective, which is to win the Champions League."

Moment that serves as inspiration for the grand finale

"The first game of the playoffs against Instituto Córdoba. We played incredibly well, we didn't let our opponents think, and we dominated the attack. We know that not every game is the same, but we're fully aware of what we can do and where we can go."