The Brazil national basketball team is governed by the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (), abbreviated as CBB.FIBA National Federations – Brazil, fiba.com. Retrieved 18 July 2013. They have been a member of the International Federation of Basketball (FIBA), since 1935. Brazil's national basketball team remains among the most successful in the Americas. It is the only team besides the United States, that has appeared at every FIBA Basketball World Cup, since it was first held in 1950.
Throughout its history, the Brazilian national team has won two FIBA World Cup gold medals (1959 and 1963), three Summer Olympic Games bronze medals (in 1948, 1960 and 1964), five FIBA AmeriCup gold medals (1984, 1988, 2005, 2009 and 2025), and six Pan American Games gold medals (1971, 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015).
History First steps
Basketball was initially introduced to Brazil by Professor Augusto Shaw in 1896. In 1912, he began organizing the first state tournament and in 1922 the first national team made its debut at games against Argentina and Uruguay. As in the case of football, South America was initially ahead of the rest of the world and in 1930 held the first edition of the FIBA South American Championship. In that decade, Brazilian basketball was supported by professional football clubs, to include it as a new sports section, although amateur in nature. Later, these clubs became professional and supported the national team with world-class players.Da Silva, Gustavo, El pesado testigo de Óscar Schmidt , Perarnau Magazine, 26 July 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
Initial success despite budget constraints In the following years, Brazil became a regular at major international competitions. Its basketball squad participated in the first official basketball tournament at the Summer Olympics 1936 in Berlin. In 1939, the first continental championship was held in Rio de Janeiro. In the 40s, basketball was catching on more layers of society and left the elitist stigma. The sport received the ultimate accolade at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. There, against all odds, the team directed by Moacyr Daiuto (1915–1994) managed to achieve the bronze medal. The team recorded six straight wins until it stopped due to the semi-final defeat to France (33–43). In the bronze medal match, Brazil beat Mexico (52–47). They managed to feature ten amateur players. The pre-Olympic Brazil concentration was very poor in resources. After its time-consuming journey to London, the team was astonishment when they saw how the U.S. team practiced: each player with a ball. Brazil only had two for the whole team.
The Kanela era One of the fundamental pillars of Brazilian basketball was the boldness of its coaches. The "father" of them all is Togo Renan Soares, "Kanela" (so nicknamed for his thick white hair). Working in the shadow of the giant football, Kanela (1906–1992) understood that basketball would add more followers if it could only offer new emotions. He aimed to get the influential media involved, so the game was conceived as a spectacle based on its dynamism and aesthetics. The formula worked. Besides the national team, he coached Flamengo which chained ten titles Rio de Janeiro State Championships in a row (1951–1960). Born in João Pessoa, Paraíba, he also coached football, rowing and water polo. In his youth, he studied at a military college. His lengthy workouts alternated with authoritative teaching tone.
Rise to global dominance
The unstoppable rise of basketball was confirmed at the second World Championship in Rio (1954). The Brazilian team, coached by Kanela, reached the final undefeated and proclaimed runner-up after losing to the global hegemonic basketball power from the U.S. The Brazilian team was equipped with experienced players who won the bronze medal at the 1948 London Summer Olympic Games, and supported through the arrival of two young men. These young men were Amaury Pasos and Wlamir Marques, 18 and 17 years old, respectively. The bet of the visionary Kanela would give tremendous returns in later years.
Ironically, the Brazilian player leap happened when the team was made up of willing and enthusiastic amateurs. These athletes, who were initiated into the game almost self-taught by imitation of American basketball players who had toured the country. The hard work of Kanela consisted of giving these players basic fundamentals and then lecture them on team concepts. Amaury and Wlamir were his most successful students. Especially their jump shots dazzled at the 54 FIBA World Cup. "Their scoring was smart and technically perfect." said the Brazilian journalist Fábio Balassiano.
Before playing basketball, Amaury, who measured 1.91 m (6'3"), had practiced swimming, athletics and volleyball, which provided him with much athletic ability. Amaury began his career playing as a typical center and power forward, but he later learned to play away from the basket, as play maker. His partner, Wlamir, was another former track runner. Standing at 1.85 m (6'1"), Wlamir was a great shooter, had great ball handling skills, enormous agility and jumping ability, which also helped him to become an excellent rebounder. Amaury and Wlamir fit well into Kanela's system: fast pace, quick transition, and full confidence in the outside shooters.
After three months of intense preparation at a Marine base, Brazil was presented at the 1959 FIBA World Championship in Chile, as a candidate for the podium. In addition to the U.S. (with a team composed of air force players), a very tough opponent emerged that had been absent in the previous tournament: the Soviet Union, the 1957 EuroBasket champions and 1956 Summer Olympics silver medalists. Kanela had the following starting lineup: Amaury Pasos as play maker, Wlamir Marques and the 33-year old veteran Algodão as wings; and Waldemar Blatskauskas and Edson Bispo at power forward and center. To complete his 7-player rotation, Kanela mostly played his bench players, small forward Jatyr Schall and point guard Pecente Fonseca. There were some minutes also for the young forward Rosa Branca, who was a great ball handler, and who later received an offer to join the Harlem Globetrotters.
In the first phase, victories over Canada (69–52) and Mexico (78–50), and defeat against the USSR (64–73). Brazil began the final phase of the tournament by beating Taiwan (94–76) and Bulgaria (62–53). Again, the Brazilians ran into the Soviets (63–66) who imposed their academic style and the size of players like Jānis Krūmiņš (2.18 m). In that clash, Kanela showed his most irascible side by attacking a referee. After a new triumph over Puerto Rico (99–71), a diplomatic carom returned chance to for the title back to Brazil: the USSR, an ally of China, declined to play against Taiwan (at that time Formosa), thus losing the match. Brazil depended on itself and did not fail. Historic victory over the USA (81–67, with 26 points from Wlamir) and, on the last day, an exhibition against Chile (73–49). Brazil reached the top of world basketball. The charismatic Amaury and Wlamir caught up with Pelé and Garrincha.
Recent years In 2012, Brazil's top players included: Anderson Varejão, Tiago Splitter, Leandro Barbosa, Nenê, Marcelinho Huertas, Alex Garcia, Guilherme Giovannoni, Marcelinho Machado, and Marquinhos Vieira. Brazil has four NBA players in 2021: Cristiano Felício (Chicago Bulls), Anderson Varejão (Cleaveland Cavaliers), Raulzinho Neto (Washington Wizards) and Didi Louzada (New Orleans Pelicans)
Competition results Olympic Games Summer Olympic Games RecordYearsPositionsPldWL 19369th place413 1948Bronze medal871 19526th place844 19566th place734 1960Bronze medal862 1964Bronze medal963 19684th place963 19727th place954 1976did not qualify 19805th place743 19849th place734 19885th place853 19925th place844 19966th place835 2000did not qualify 2004 2008 20125th place642 20169th place523 2020did not qualify 20247th place413Total1156649
FIBA World Cup FIBA World Cup RecordYearResultPldWL 19504th place633 1954Runner-up981 1959Champions972 1963Champions660 19673rd place972 1970Runner-up972 19746th place945 19783rd place1082 19828th place743 19864th place1064 19905th place844 199411th place826 199810th place826 20028th place945 200619th place514 20109th place633 20146th place752 201913th place532 202313th place532 2027To Be Determined 2031Total1458758
Pan American Games Pan American Games RecordYearResultPldWL 1951Bronze Medal633 1955Bronze Medal541 1959Bronze Medal642 1963Silver Medal651 19677th place6421971Gold Medal871 1975Bronze Medal972 1979Bronze Medal945 1983Silver Medal853 1987Gold Medal761 19915th place761 1995Bronze Medal752 1999Gold Medal541 2003Gold Medal550 2007Gold Medal550 20115th place422 2015Gold Medal550 2019did not qualify 2023Bronze Medal541 2027To be determined 2031Total1037627
FIBA AmeriCup FIBA AmeriCup RecordYearResultPldWL 19804th place642 1984Champions880 1988Champions871 19893rd place871 19923rd place651 19934th place743 19953rd place1055 19973rd place963 19996th place835 2001Runner-up1073 20037th place835 2005Champions1073 20074th place1055 2009Champions1091 2011Runner-up1082 20139th place404 20159th place413 201710th place312 2022Runner-up651 2025Champions651Total15110051
FIBA South American Championship FIBA South American Championship YearsPositionsPldWL 19303rd Place624 19344th place615 1935Runner-up422 19373rd place835 19384th place413 1939Champions431 19403rd place532 19415th place514 19424th place422 1945Champions550 1947Runner-up532 1949Runner-up532 1953Runner-up651 19553rd place862 1958Champions770 1960Champions660 1961Champions770 1963Champions871 1966Runner-up761 1968Champions761 1969Runner-up642 1971Champions761 1973Champions770 1976Runner-up651 1977Champions880 1979Runner-up651 1981Runner-up541 1983Champions660 1985Champions770 19873rd place651 1989Champions550 1991Runner-up862 1993Champions770 19953rd place761 19974th place752 1999Champions660 2001Runner-up972 2003Champions660 2004Runner-up651 2006Champions431 20084th place642 2010Champions550 20124th place532 20143rd place532 2016Runner-up642Total27121160
Team Current roster Roster for the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup.
Past rosters 1936 Olympic Games: finished 9–14 among 23 teams
Aluízio "Baiano" Freire Ramos Accioly Neto, Américo Montanarini, Armando Albano, Ary "Pavão" dos Santos Furtado, Carmino de Pilla, Miguel Pedro, Nélson Monteiro, Waldemar "Coroa" Gonçalves (Head Coach: Arno Frank)
1948 Olympic Games: finished 3rd among 23 teams
Zenny "Algodão" de Azevedo, Ruy de Freitas, Affonso Évora, Alfredo da Motta, Marcus Vinícius, Alexandre Gemignani, Nilton Pacheco, João Francisco Bráz, Alberto Marson, Massinet Sorcinelli (Head Coach: Moacyr Brondi Daiuto)
1952 Olympic Games: finished 6th among 23 teams
Zenny "Algodão" de Azevedo, Hélio "Godinho" Marques Pereira, Tião Amorim Gimenez, Ruy de Freitas, Mayr Facci, Raymundo Carvalho dos Santos, Angelo "Angelim" Bonfietti, João Francisco Bráz, Alfredo da Motta, Almir Nelson de Almeida, Mário Jorge, Thales Monteiro, Zé Luiz (Head Coach: Manoel Pitanga)
1954 FIBA World Championship: finished 2nd among 12 teams
Amaury Pasos, Wlamir Marques, Zenny "Algodão" de Azevedo, Alfredo da Motta, Thales Monteiro, Hélio "Godinho" Marques Pereira, Ângelo "Angelim" Bonfietti, Almir Nelson de Almeida, Wilson Bombarda, Mário Jorge, Mayr Facci, José Henrique de Carli, Jamil Gedeão, Fausto Sucena Rasga Filho (Head Coach: Togo "Kanela" Renan Soares)
1956 Olympic Games: finished 6th among 15 teams
Amaury Pasos, Angelo "Angelim" Bonfietti, Edson Bispo dos Santos, Fausto Sucena Rasga Filho, Jamil Gedeão, Jorge Olivieri, Zé Luiz, Mayr Facci, Nélson Couto, Wilson Bombarda, Wlamir Marques, Zenny "Algodão" de Azevedo (Head Coach: Mário Amândio Duarte)
1959 FIBA World Championship: finished 1st among 13 teams