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31 August, 2019
15 September
5 Raulzinho Neto (BRA)
02/04/2019
News
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Brazil's Neto: ''We have talent and experience, we can beat a lot of teams if we play at our best''

SALT LAKE CITY (USA) - Raul Neto plans to be with the Brazilian national team in Nanjing when the South Americans tip off their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 campaign against New Zealand in Group F.

Raulzinho, who last suited up for Brazil during the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, is averaging 5.2 points and 2.5 assists in his fourth NBA season with the Utah Jazz.

The 6ft 1in (1.85m) playmaker spoke to FIBA.Basketball about Brazil's preliminary group, his role on the team and teaming up with legends like Anderson Varejao and Leandrinho Barbosa.

"WE'RE AMBITIOUS, BUT OUR FIRST GOAL IS TO BEAT GREECE, NEW ZEALAND AND MONTENEGRO. AFTER THIS, WE WILL PLAY TO GO AS FAR AS WE CAN."- Neto

Brazil have been drawn in Group F alongside Greece, New Zealand, and Montenegro. What are your thoughts?
It's a very competitive group, where any team can win and go to the Second Round. We all know about Greece, they are a very good team and have plenty of very good players with guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nick Calathes among others. Montenegro has some guys too, some of them play in great European teams and Nikola Vucevic too, who is an (NBA) All-Star. I don't know that much about New Zealand, but if they've qualified, it means they can play very well and compete at the highest level. It's a very good group, I really like that we are going to play against those good teams to fight for a spot in the next round.

What will be the target for Brazil at he World Cup?
We want to have a great run and we will take it one step at a time. The first step is to reach the Second Round and we will take it from there. I think that we have a lot of talent and experience, and we can beat a lot of teams in the tournament if we play at our best level. We have been building a very good team and we want to show once again that Brazil national team is a very solid one. We are ambitious, but our first goal is to beat Greece, New Zealand and Montenegro. After this, we will play to go as far as we can in this tournament.

Are you planning on playing this summer with the national team?
Oh yes, that is a goal to be part of the team and help the guys have a great tournament this summer in China. I really love playing for the national team and it’s an honor for me to wear the jersey and represent Brazil every time I can do so. We're going to have a great team and I'm looking forward to the possibility of competing at the World Cup. It’s going to be an amazing tournament; China is going to be a great host country and I'm sure that many other players are as excited as I am to play this summer on the world stage.

Some of your Utah Jazz teammates - Joe Ingles of Australia and Rudy Gobert of France - also have the opportunity to compete this summer with their respective national teams…
(Laughs) Yes, we talk all the time about the possibility of having our respective national teams face each other. I wish them the best and to their national teams but I want Brazil to go far. So if we have to beat them, we will (Laughs)! I'm excited to see them play during the World Cup and they're going to be very impactful for their teams. Australia and France can have very good runs in China and I'm sure both Joe and Rudy are going to have very good games.

How closely did you follow the World Cup Qualifiers and what did you think of your teammates' performances?
I watched some of the games and I think they did a very good job. It was a very long campaign and it’s great to see that the guys showed so many good things during the whole Qualifiers. It's not easy to keep being focused and competitive in such a long qualifying process. The guys did a great job at playing very well for most of the games. It's also good to see that some younger players were given the opportunity to play at this level, and they did play very well. We have plenty of players to make the final roster and it's going to be an exciting training camp in preparation for the World Cup. I just hope that everyone is going to be healthy.

"I REALLY ENJOY BEING ONE OF THE AMBASSADORS OF BRAZIL BASKETBALL AND I'M HAPPY TO DO SO FOR MANY MORE YEARS TO COME."- Neto

The role of the veterans, Anderson Varejao, Leandrinho Barbosa and Nene is very important in this team…
Oh yes, very important, that is for sure. They have been doing so well for the national team now for so many years, and they are the pillars of the team. Anderson and Leandrinho are the best teammates. They bring so much experience and are helping the young players a lot. Just look at their impact during the World Cup Qualifiers! They had very good performances and showed the way to the other guys on the team. They were very important in the process to qualify for the World Cup. Having guys with a lot of experience is a big advantage because they know a lot about the game, how to deal with pressure and have a high level of competitiveness.

Raulzinho with Leandrinho and Nene

With some of the veterans close to the end of their careers, you're most likely going to be the future flag bearer of Brazilian basketball...
I'm not afraid of the responsibility and I really want to keep showing and try to be a good example for my fellow compatriots back home. I know that a lot of people are following my games and I keep working hard in order to be the best player I can become and show the youth in Brazil that everything is possible with hard work. I am very proud to be from Brazil and I want to see my sport keep improving and having more and more Brazilian players in the NBA and in the best leagues of the world. I really enjoy being one of the ambassadors of Brazil basketball and I'm happy to do so for many more years to come.

FIBA