NANJING (China) - Brazil showed up in China for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 with a roster that blended experienced veterans and a number of talented young players who feel ready to take over the future of the game in  South America's largest country.

The Brazilians rolled into the Second Round of the tournament with a shiny 3-0 record thanks to wins over New Zealand, Greece and Montenegro and have put themselves in an excellent position to advance to the Quarter-Finals.

Alex Garcia (39), Leandro Barbosa (36) and Anderson Varejao (36) might be waving goodbye to a tournament they participated in a record five times, but one of the most frequently asked questions about Brazil basketball's future is what comes next after those three are gone.

"I AM FORTUNATE TO BE PLAYING THIS WORLD CUP WITH SOME EXPERIENCED GUYS LIKE VAREJAO, LEANDRINHO AND ALEX (GARCIA)."- Bruno Caboclo

The Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB) and head coach Aleksandar Petrovic made a smart move by calling up the trio of Bruno Caboclo (23), Yago Santos (20), Didi Louzada (20), who are making the most of their FIBA Basketball World Cup debut.

An episode involving Garcia, Louzada and Caboclo reflects how well the generational transition is working for Brazil, and none better than Louzada felt the importance of having a teammate as experienced as Garcia.

Did Louzada

With Brazil in the penalty, and leading Greece 79-76 with four seconds remaining in a Group F clash, Louzada fouled Kostas Sloukas, who was attempting a half-court  three-pointer, sending the Greek guard to the charity stripe.

Brazil's bench and most of the crowd at Gymnasium of Youth Olympic in Nanjing reacted in disbelief, but Garcia stepped up, consoling a face-shocked Louzada. Luckily for Brazil, Sloukas' third free-throw hit the rim, and Caboclo seized the game-winning opportunity by clearing out the rebound.

"This is what the World Cup is for young players," Garcia later told FIBA.basketball. "I am sure Didi [Louzada] will remember that moment for the rest of his career. I told him not to worry about that. We are here to support each other, and he appreciated what I said to him. He can't be blamed for what he did. I am sure he didn't intend to hurt our team, but it's part of the learning process."

The team's Croatian head coach Petrovic also stressed how his team reacted to the episode, rather than the episode itself. "The most important thing was Alex's gesture and what he said to Didi," he highlighted.

But what exactly comes next for Brazil, when the veteran trio steps of Barbosa, Garcia and Varejao do call it a day?

Caboclo who had a breakthrough 2018-19 season with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, underlined his long-term commitment to the national team program and his desire to represent Brazil on the world stage. 

"I have many more years to play for the national team and I will try to make the most of this experience here in China," Caboclo said a smile.

The 2.06m (6ft 9in) forward, who is having an impactful campaign for Brazil, added: "I am fortunate to be playing this World Cup with some experienced guys like [Anderson], Leandrinho [Barbosa] and Alex [Garcia], who might be playing their last World Cup. I am learning each and every day with them."

"But there are many more young talented players back home, and I am very optimistic about the future our national team. Hopefully, we’ll have a team as great as the Oscar Schmidt-led team in the 1980s."

How far Brazil can go in this year's World Cup, Caboclo insists, will depend on the team's willingness to stay together. "An important characteristic of our team is our togetherness spirit. We can't underestimate our opponents, and we have to keep that attitude moving forward."

FIBA