BRAZIL - OLYMPICS 2012 BASKETBALL: Olympic basketball team is unveiled ahead of London Games

Record ID: 330741

  • Title: BRAZIL - OLYMPICS 2012 BASKETBALL: Olympic basketball team is unveiled ahead of London Games
  • Date: 18th May 2012
  • Summary: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (MAY 17, 2012) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE OF BRAZIL'S BASKETBALL CONFEDERATION BRAZIL'S BASKETBALL TEAM COACH, RUBEN MAGNANO, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF MAGNANO IN NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF REPORTER TAKING NOTES REPORTERS AND CAMERAS IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL'S BASKETBALL TEAM COACH, RUBEN MAGNANO, SAYING: "Small forward -- Leandro Barbosa, Marcelo Machado, Marco Vinicius de Souza and Alex Garcia. Power forward -- Anderson Varejao, Guilherme Giovannoni. Centre -- Thiago Splitter, Rafael Hettsheimeir, Maybyner Rodney or Nene." PHOTOGRAPHER VARIOUS OF REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL'S BASKETBALL TEAM COACH, RUBEN MAGNANO, SAYING: "So this conversation I had with them was the conversation that allowed me to give them another chance." PHOTOGRAPHER VARIOUS OF MAGNANO CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL'S BASKETBALL TEAM COACH, RUBEN MAGNANO, SAYING: "I think United States and Spain are the strongest candidates for the Olympic gold medal. Under them, I think we are all in a very similar situation. Of course this will vary according to what happens until the beginning of the Olympic Games." NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAPEEY6P7CUPU1T8HJQSU6FMV
  • Story Text: Brazil's basketball coach Ruben Magnano announced on Thursday (May 17) the 12 players who will make up the country's squad in the Olympics for the first time in 16 years.
    The coach, who hails from Argentina, reopened the team's doors to NBA players like Nene and Leandro Barbosa, Tiago Splitter and Anderson Varejao.
    There were doubts if Nene and Barbosa would be chosen because they turned down their call-ups in the pre-Olympic tournament. Their absence drew criticism from fans and even other local basketball players.
    "Small forward -- Leandro Barbosa, Marcelo Machado, Marco Vinicius de Souza and Alex Garcia. Power forward -- Anderson Varejao, Guilherme Giovannoni. Centre -- Thiago Splitter, Rafael Hettsheimeir, Maybyner Rodney or Nene," Magnano announced in a news conference in Sao Paulo.
    Magnano, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games for Argentina, told reporters he decided to give Nene and Barbosa another chance after a conversation he had with them last year.
    "So this conversation I had with them was the conversation that allowed me to give them another chance," he said.
    Brazil booked their ticket to London after finishing second to hosts Argentina in last year's qualifying tournament in the Argentine resort of Mar del Plata.
    Brazil beat Argentina in the second round of the tournament, but when they faced each other in the final it was the hosts who came out on top.
    Magnano said with the exception of the United States and Spain, Brazil's squad should have equal chances to compete for an Olympic medal.
    "I think United States and Spain are the strongest candidates for the Olympic gold medal. Under them, I think we are all in a very similar situation. Of course this will vary according to what happens until the beginning of the Olympic Games," he said.
    Magnano said he would step up training in the following weeks in order to build a good bond between the players.
    Brazil's debut in London will be against Australia followed by Britain.
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