8/9/2019 Speak Up #273 -- American basketball in Brazil

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With less than a minute to go in over-time1 at Club Athletico Paulistano

in Sao Paulo, Tony Stockman steps to theree throw stripe2 with a chance to winthe game. A native o Ohio in the UnitedStates and now star guard or one o Bra-zils best basketball clubs, Franca/Vivo,Stockman is surprisingly calm consideringthe challenges he has aced throughoutthe night3.His coach keeps screaming4 at him to do

something important, but Stockman cantalways understand the mans Portugls.Stockman also hits a language barrier withreerees5, and sometimes thinks they a-vor Brazilian players over oreigners whenchoosing how to call ouls6.With ball in hand, Stockmans eet steadyand arms raise, while the crowd hurl ob-scenities that bounce o7 the gymnasiumwalls. He exhales, makes the shot, and

turns downcourt8 with a smile as Francaseals9 another win this year in Brazils na-tional basketball league, Novo BasqueteBrasil (NBB).Ele frio, Paulistano ans grumble, upsettheir catcalls couldnt shake10 the Gringoand NBB All-Star.I only they knew how easy clutch reethrows11 can be when you dont under-stand what the crowd is shouting.Tens o thousands o miles rom home,

Stockman is one o 13 Americans playingin Brazils NBB this season, raising thelevel o competition or a league thatstrying to recapture the passion Brazilonce had or basketball. They came chas-ing the promise o a paycheck and expect-ing everything to look like the Amazon,but these Americans say theyve allen inlove with Brazil like countless oreignersbeore them.

Tony Stockman, a

native o Medina, Ohio,

stars or Franca/Vivo

O basquete brasileiroevolui mais

rapidamente graas importao de

jogadores norte-americanos. Mas...

como eles se sentemjogando nestas terras?

By Bob Moser

U.S. Basketballcomes to Brazil

around brazil

Glossary

1 in overtime - naprorrogao.

2 steps to the ree throwstripe - vai para a linhade lance livre.

3 the challenges he hasaced throughout thenight - os desafios queenfrentou por toda anoite.

4 his coach keepsscreaming - o treinadorcontinua gritando.

5 reerees -juzes.6 to call oul - marcar

falta.7 hurl obscenities that

bounce o - berrapalavres que ecoam.

8 turns downcourt - voltapara o seu lado daquadra.

9 seals - confirma, sela.10 grumble, upset their

catcalls couldnt shake- enraivecidos porqueseus xingos noabalaram.

11 clutch ree throws -

lances livres. twenty-three 23

M L i m t i / F

8/9/2019 Speak Up #273 -- American basketball in Brazil

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24 twenty-four

Basketball was Brazils second most pop-ular sport throughout the 1950s, 1960sand 1970s, with the national teamwinning nine Olympic and FIBA WorldChampionship medals during that time,and considered a Top-Five team world-wide. Brazils pro basketball league andnational team lost a lot o that talent inthe early 1980s to European leagues andthe rapid growth o volleyball in Brazil,and basketball hasnt recovered since.But within the last two years, the NBBhas embarked on a long-term eort toredefne basketball in Brazil, developinglocal talent while recruiting oreign play-ers rom countries like the U.S., Panamaand Cuba.When Magen McNeil, a native o Phila-

delphia, was oered a chance to play orVila Velha Basquetebol Clube in EspritoSanto this season, he hesitated at frst.Awul12 images o Brazil rom news andmovies were the frst thoughts that cameto mind.Beore this, all I knew about Brazilwere rumors o kidnappings, diseaseand gangs13, said McNeil, who playedin Ireland and Finland beore Brazil. Iwasnt used to seeing such poverty inthefavelas.But ater a ew months o traveling thecountry with his team, McNeil has embracedthe Brazilian way o approaching lie14.Even though theres crime, corrup-tion and other bad stu, theres a loto spots15 here that are pure paradise.

ShamellStallworth,

who hasplayedin Brazilsince 2004,shared histhoughtswith SpeakUp on howbasketballvaries fromcountry tocountry,

and his reason for applying forBrazilian citizenship19:The game here in Brazil is aster-

paced20, theres not that much

control. In Europe, basketball isvery structured, the point guard21

runs the plays all the waythrough tothe end22. But (in Brazil), i you areopen within the frst fve seconds,you take the shot23. Coaches herestill dont really preach the concepto deense, which is dierent romthe USA and Europe. Growing up, Iwas told by my (American) coaches,Deense wins championships. Butsince I started here in 2004, deensein Brazil has improved a lot, and its

coaching has improved.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS?Communication has been the

biggest challenge, trying to

understand what we want eachother to do. My vision o basketball

is dierent rom a Brazilians visiono basketball. But somehow, wemust fnd a way to meet in themiddle, to better our team, and thesport here in Brazil.

WHY NATIONALIZE?I want to make a dierence, tobe a actor24 in Brazil and helpbasketball. I came rom the bestcountry or basketball. I thinkbasketball here is going in the

right direction, but Brazilians canlearn more. I I become Brazilian,I dont think it will hurt anybody, I

can only help.

Go see a gameThe NBBs regular season endApril 4. O the 14 teams, 12qualifed or NBBs our-roundplayos18. The playos gothrough April and May, and thechampionship round should be

May 17. Games are broadcast

on SporTV, and you can learnmore about the playos at httpliganacionaldebasquete.com.b

Shamell Stallworth

Brazilians dont worry about the littlethings here. Theres sunshine, the beachand people smile every day. Even theguy pushing a recycling cart16 says BomDia, Mcneil said. No matter how badyou got it, somebody has got it worse.Brazilians seem to know that, and arehappy with what they got. In the U.S.you always need more. Brazil showed methats not true.That type o bond17 with Brazil has mo-tivated two other American players toapply or naturalization, in hopes o get-ting to play on Brazils national team.They are Shamell Stallworth, a Caliornianative who now plays or Pinheiros/Sky,and Larry Taylor, a Chicago native whoplays with Associao Bauru.

Most Americans in the NBB have playedin leagues around the world. Some arechasing the ultimate dream a chanceto break into the United States NBA.Stockman is happy simply to earn a niceliving playing a game he loves, and get-ting to explore the world with his wieand children at the same time.The situation Im in now is perect: tobe in a dierent country playing ball, andmy amily gets to come and experiencea new culture, said Stockman, who haspreviously played in France, Israel andMexico. Thats another reason I came toBrazil, its a country Ive never been to.A lot o times I go to play in places andit doesnt eel like home. But were set-tling in here, itll be tough to leave.

Glossary12 awul - horrveis.

13 kidnappings,diseases and gangs- sequestros, doenase quadrilhas.

14 has embraced theBrazilian way o

approaching lie -abraou o jeitobrasileiro de encarar avida.

15 spots - lugares.16 recycling cart -

carroa de reciclveis.17 bond - vnculo.

GO SEE A GAME

18 our-round playos -quartas de final.

SHAMELL STALLWORTH

19 applying orcitizenship -requerendo a naturali-zao brasileira.

20 aster-paced - mais

corrido.21 the point guard - o

armador. 22 runs the plays... end

- administra asjogadas at o final (dotempo).

23 you take the shot -voc tenta oarremesso.

24 to be a actor - serum fator de influncia.

photobyLuizPires