FRANCA (Brazil) – Talking to Lucas Dias off the court helps one understand the development of someone who has won practically everything he's aimed for lately. The ability to focus and dedicate himself on the court while being present at home comes from unwavering family support, and Dias makes sure to emphasize that. "It's priceless to come home from a game and have your son greet you with a big toothless smile (laughs). My wife, my brother, and my son are incredible people and take all the weight off my shoulders," he said post practice, still catching his breath, with his son in his arms and a smile on his face.

This support has been very effective for him. Alongside SESI Franca, the power forward won the state and national championships, NBB Super 8 Cup, Basketball Champions League Americas title, and the FIBA Intercontinental Cup last season, and managed to extend the BCL Americas undefeated streak to the current season (at the time of this article's publication).

"In 2023, we put our egos aside, learned to celebrate each other's good performances, and allowed each one to have their moment. Everyone understood that we had a unique opportunity in our hands and that we could make history."

"Every year I spent here in Franca, I demanded more from myself. The city is home to sports idols who made history here, and I dreamed of being part of that, of leaving my mark somehow. When I arrived here, I noticed a banner celebrating the runner-up world championship, and after we won the BCLA [title], I thought: 'they built such a beautiful story in that runner-up campaign, imagine if we were champions.'"

There's no need to imagine anymore. In 2023, with a fadeaway shot at the last second, Lucas Dias secured the victory and the unprecedented world title for Franca, defeating the Germans of Telekom Baskets Bonn. Voted the best player in the Final, Dias says it was "one of those moments that will never leave my memory."

The play, which lasted only a few seconds, played like a movie in the 28-year-old's head. "I remembered everything I went through to get there. Since leaving Bauru, my moments with my family... everything came to me. I came back from the timeout and stepped onto the court knowing that I was going to try the fadeaway. I felt the pressure, but I also felt the support from my team and the trust they placed in me. I knew that was the moment to leave my mark in history. I prayed, trusted, and it worked," he said with a laugh.

The world title closed a season full of conquests. The continuation of Franca's process has a lot to do with Dias. Despite always emphasizing the importance of teamwork (team that underwent changes and successfully readapted), Dias seems to only have gotten better since the ICC title. He leads the current BCL Americas season in points (21 per game) and 3-pointers made (16 total), as well as leading undefeated Franca in rebounds (9.5 per game).

A possible MVP title would be icing on the cake for Lucas, but not the main goal: "My whole life, all I cared about was winning titles. I want to win everything. From the All-Star Game to the World Championship, if I step on the court, it's to chase a W. I'm happy to be in the MVP conversation, of course, it's proof that I'm on the right path and that the work is being well done. But for me, no individual achievement matters if the title doesn't come. I can have 30 thousand MVP awards at home, but a championship title is priceless. There is no better feeling."

With his priorities in place, 2024 is also a year to talk a lot about the Brazilian National Team. Important challenges, such as the FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers and the Olympic Qualifiers are approaching, and his FIBA World Cup 2023 stint can serve as a learning experience.

"There is pressure. Playing in Brazil, every time I join the National Team is a trial for me, in the sense of showing that I deserve to be there as much as the talents who play abroad. It is a team composed of 12 very good individuals, and I come with the mentality of helping in some way. The Lucas Dias who scores 25 points here in Franca is not necessarily the Lucas Dias that the National Team needs. If they need me to come in and commit 5 fouls in 1 minute, that's what I'm going to do. When the team comes together and matures, as happened in this last World Cup, we can do well."

Lucas also highlighted the changes in the Brazilian roster. New faces make up a group that, according to him, needs to mature but has the potential to achieve big things: "We are Brazilian. We need to believe, and we're going for it."

The FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers are on the radar, according to Lucas, as a golden opportunity to give the group more experience: "Being able to compete in tournaments before the Olympic Qualifiers is essential for the team's chemistry. We often have a very short schedule, which doesn't allow us to train as much as we would like with the full group or understand how each one fits into the National Team. The more time we have with everyone together, the better prepared we can be for a competition."

Franca fans have followed Dias' development for quite some time, since he joined in 2018. "To this day I remember telling a fan that 'things were going to change from now on.'” Some years and titles later, it can be said the promise was fulfilled.

Whether he’ll be wearing Brazilian colors or Franca's colors, Lucas Dias has a 2024 full of goals. Now, only time will tell how he will further leave his mark, just as he dreamed.

FIBA