BRA – Big Paulo closing in on spot in Brazil squad

ALMADA (FIBA Americas Championship) – The signs are very good that Brazil’s rising star Paulo Prestes will make the national team that plays at the FIBA Americas Championship next summer after his MVP performance in the International Tournament of Almada over the weekend.

The Brazilians, without any of their veterans, prevailed 77-73 over Portugal on Sunday to go 3-0 at the event with Paulo (widely known as Paulão - Big Paulo) scoring 12 points and hauling in six rebounds in the final game.

The 6ft 10in player described his award to FIBA.com as a “great personal incentive to keep working and achieve space in this Brazilian team”.

On the opening day of the Almada competition, Brazil overcame the nine-time African champions Angola 89-86 and then beat Finland 95-89 before overcoming the Portuguese.

Portugal, Brazil and Angola are three of the 10 teams now playing at the Lusofonia Games - an event for the Portuguese speaking countries, plus India, Sri Lanka and Macao.

Other teams are Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé e Príncipe and Guinea Bissau.

The event started on Tuesday and runs through Sunday.

The 21-year-old center said of the Almada event: “This tournament was the show-piece of the beginning of a growing team that has ambition and potential.

“To beat Portugal at their own home was a sign that this team can do great things as we are under rebuilding. Portugal has a good team and was tough to beat.”

The average age of the Brazil team in Europe is 23.

“We are implementing a united spirit within the team,” Paulo said. “The team is becoming stronger and stronger.

“Tiago [Splitter], Nene, Leandrinho and [Anderson] Varejao are the kind of players that will make this group even stronger, and then we’ll show the world’s basketball fans that Brazil can play face-to-face against any other team.”

Nene, however, was this week ruled out for the summer with an arm injury he suffered in the NBA play-offs with the Denver Nuggets.

Brazil will play in the FIBA America Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from August 26 to September 6, and will attempt to qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

“Our main priority is to qualify for the World Championship next year,” Paulo said. “We can say definitely that there is a great spirit in this team.

“It is time to show Brazilian fans they can have joy following the basketball.

“Failing to make it to the Olympics was a great disappointment for all of us.”

As for his club future, Paulo was a member of Spanish side Clinicas Rincon Axarquia [satellite-team of Unicaja Malaga] for the last three seasons.

He made himself available for the NBA Draft but withdrew his name.

“I have progressed very well as a player,” he said.

“I withdrew from the draft because I decided to play some more in Europe and then we‘ll see. I have acquired Spanish citizenship last month. It gives me more options to play in Europe.

“I have been playing for the Clinicas Rincon, but for next season there is a 90% chance to play for Unicaja. Even though there is a possibility of being loaned to another team in the ACB, all I expect is to stay at Unicaja.

“Playing in the Euroleague is something that any professional in Europe wants.”

FIBA