NBA announces Flamengo's preseason opponents
Current Rio de Janeiro, NBB and Americas champions, the red-and-black athletes are expected to travel to the US on October 4th to play matches against the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies.
By Communication - Official Club Website - in
The multiple basketball champions will bring yet another source of pride to the nation. Invited by the NBA to participate in the American league's official preseason, the professional basketball team will travel to the United States on October 4th to play three matches, officially confirmed by the NBA this Thursday (August 14.08th).. The first will be on October 8th, against Phoenix Suns, in Arizona; on the 15th, the opponent will be Orlando Magic, in Florida; finally, the team faces the Memphis Grizzlies, on the 17th, in Tennessee. After winning the State Championship, the New Basketball Brazil (NBB) and the League of the Americas, Flamengo will still compete in the Club World Cup against the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, on September 26th and 28th before the games in the United States.
The Most Beloved will be the first Latin American team to have the privilege of participating in the preseason of the world's top basketball league. Invitations to foreign teams to play these matches have been extended since 1978, but previously only to Euroleague teams. The Club's Vice President of Olympic Sports, Alexandre Póvoa, considers the opportunity fantastic. "When every kid starts playing basketball, they dream of playing in the NBA one day. I think sports and basketball lovers are realizing a dream through us, which is to participate in this preseason. The issue is broader, as Flamengo is opening itself up to all of Brazilian sports. It's an intangible, difficult-to-measure importance," he said.
Marcelo Vido, Flamengo's director of Olympic Sports, highlights the factors that led to the unprecedented invitation. "The greatest merit went to NBA Brazil, through Arnon de Mello (NBA Brazil's executive director), for demonstrating to NBA Global that Brazilian basketball is strong and that Flamengo has significant importance in this field, especially given the team's recent achievements. Our team earned this invitation and has proven itself through its performance over the last two years, but I also credit him with the club's restructuring as an entity. We can also point to the Brazilian market of 200 million people and the Flamengo market of 40 million passionate fans, which is of interest to the NBA. The evolution of Brazilian basketball, with the creation of the NBB, also contributed to the selection of a Brazilian team. For Flamengo, from a technical standpoint, it's important to play against teams that are recognized as stronger; it's part of an evolutionary process. From an institutional standpoint, associating Flamengo with the NBA is essential for the internationalization of the brand through basketball, which is one of the biggest sports in the world. Being alongside the elite of global basketball is sensational," he concluded.
The Most Beloved will be the first Latin American team to have the privilege of participating in the preseason of the world's top basketball league. Invitations to foreign teams to play these matches have been extended since 1978, but previously only to Euroleague teams. The Club's Vice President of Olympic Sports, Alexandre Póvoa, considers the opportunity fantastic. "When every kid starts playing basketball, they dream of playing in the NBA one day. I think sports and basketball lovers are realizing a dream through us, which is to participate in this preseason. The issue is broader, as Flamengo is opening itself up to all of Brazilian sports. It's an intangible, difficult-to-measure importance," he said.
Marcelo Vido, Flamengo's director of Olympic Sports, highlights the factors that led to the unprecedented invitation. "The greatest merit went to NBA Brazil, through Arnon de Mello (NBA Brazil's executive director), for demonstrating to NBA Global that Brazilian basketball is strong and that Flamengo has significant importance in this field, especially given the team's recent achievements. Our team earned this invitation and has proven itself through its performance over the last two years, but I also credit him with the club's restructuring as an entity. We can also point to the Brazilian market of 200 million people and the Flamengo market of 40 million passionate fans, which is of interest to the NBA. The evolution of Brazilian basketball, with the creation of the NBB, also contributed to the selection of a Brazilian team. For Flamengo, from a technical standpoint, it's important to play against teams that are recognized as stronger; it's part of an evolutionary process. From an institutional standpoint, associating Flamengo with the NBA is essential for the internationalization of the brand through basketball, which is one of the biggest sports in the world. Being alongside the elite of global basketball is sensational," he concluded.