Varejão and Barbosa: an eternal duo

GOIANIA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers) - The Brazil national team will now play their second game at this stage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers after winning an important victory against Colombia in the window's start.

The duel against Chile will be another challenge for the squad led by Anderson Varejão and Leandro Barbosa, who are experiencing these encounters in a special way.

"WE ALREADY KNOW EACH OTHER WELL; HE PLAYS VERY FAST AND LIKES TO PLAY WITH SPEED IN THE COUNTERATTACKS. HE ALWAYS RUNS WHEN WE TAKE THE REBOUND. HE ALWAYS DOES THE BACKDOOR PLAY; WE DID IT A LOT WHEN WE PLAYED IN GOLDEN STATE AND AT THE NATIONAL TEAM" Varejão Varejão 

Varejão also spoke about what is upcoming in their game on Sunday against Chile: "We have to keep focused, start the game with more concentration and control Chile to achieve another victory in the Qualifiers."

In 2018, they were brought together by the Brazilian national team to play the second window of the Qualifiers, which also meant the return of both players to the Brazilian National League (NBB, for its Portuguese acronym). But first, the Flamengo center and the Franca shooting guard played together at the NBA’s Golden State Warriors during the 2016-2017 season, in which was, for both, their last year in American competitions before returning to their native country.

Barbosa spent 10 months without playing before returning to Franca and 14 years in the NBA with a championship title with the Warriors (but passed through Toronto, Indiana, Boston and Phoenix); while Varejão played 13 seasons in the US League between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. It was in this last squad where both players shared the 2016-2017 and live that unique experience in the San Francisco franchise.

Today, in the Brazil national team, both stars came together once again to partake in the team's qualifying process for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

FIBA