The Globalization of Basketball: Latin America (Part 2)By: Joshua Motenko

By Joshua Motenko
7/6/06

	Zapatista backboard, Chiapas, Mexico.

Belize

Belize is an underdeveloped dreamer of a basketball nation. They may need a
miracle, or thirty years of focused hard work to make an impact on the NBA.

Basketball Popularity Ranking: Second to futból.

Current NBA Players: Milt Palacio, Utah Jazz.

Milt Palacio is a Belizean citizen, born in Los Angeles, CA to Belizean parents.

Names you could see picked in the NBA draft in the next 4-5 years: None.

Basketball Culture:

Most North Americans don’t even know that Belize is a country. Belize culture
shares many similarities with Patrick Ewing’s birthplace: Jamaica. A short ethnography
would tell you that this tiny underdeveloped country on Central America’s Caribbean
coast is a laid-back African culture that is famous for its beaches, reggae
music, and North American expatriates. But basketball is becoming a stable and
important piece of their society, mainly because of exposure to the NBA. Belize
may be the only country in the world that includes NBATV as part of the nation-wide
basic cable television package. Not even in the States is it as widely distributed.
Anyone with a television has access to the NBA year-round. The NBA’s embrace
of African American culture through hip-hop has made it even more popular among
Belizean youths.

The NBA is so popular in fact, that when spending some time with the semi-professional
team in Orange Walk, just north of Belize City, the players nicknamed me Scalabrini
-after the Boston Celtics forward – because of my red hair and home city. Upon
hearing this nickname, I was shocked – almost to the point of being disturbed
– at how knowledgeable these players were of NBA personnel. The fact that these
players even knew of such an unused role-player like Brian Scalabrini was impressive
since he is far from a household name, even in the U.S. I could only imagine
the kinds of other obscure basketball references the Belizeans would be able
to pick up on. But this was just another reminder that the reach of the game
extends far beyond the first world and will continue to show up in unexpected
ways.

The best level of basketball in the country is the semi-professional league,
the Belize Basketball Association (BBA). Players are athletic and play a fast
paced open-court style. But because of lack of basic basketball education and
limited infrastructure, Belizeans play with a YMCA-style misdirection that is
frustrating to watch. The coaches run drills that seem to have been created
the day before, and the players execute them with the conviction of a high school
varsity squad in September. Players are not accustomed to the ideas of team
defense at any age level, and many other basic basketball fundamentals are simply
non-existent.

	Milt Palacio

When I first arrived on the courts in Belize, it seemed that I was looking
into the past, seeing the development of basketball from its beginnings. At
first glance, wasn’t this what a more established basketball country like Brazil
might have looked like 30 years ago, at least in terms of talent development
and league organization? I soon realized that because of its size and economic
climate, such a comparison for Belize was somewhat romanticized. Yet the prospect
of seeing a historical depiction of international basketball in modern times
has remained within me, feeding my passion for exploration as if I were an archeologist.
Belize is as good an example of this as any country in the world.

The BBA is a league that is struggling simply to stay active. The 2005 BBA
season was cancelled due to economic reasons, and in the last year the league
underwent a massive reconstruction involving several franchises changing hands.
During this time, politicians oversaw the construction of new stadiums hoping
for a leg-up in up-coming elections. Often times, success of the basketball
infrastructure is dependent upon political agendas. But for the first time in
history, the 6-team league was able to get fully organized by holding a player
draft with a lottery system in 2006. Each franchise now has a USD$15,000 salary
cap, with suggested pay rates of USD$ 25-125 per player per game, based on the
draft position of the player. This is a great advance for Belizean basketball,
but they are still light years away from producing players for the NBA.

Belize is a country that dreams of making a global impact on the basketball
court. Players look up to NBA all-stars. Coaches and league administrators look
up to the success of other Latin American countries. Yet at this point Belize
can only dream of being a great basketball country. However, due to the countrywide
infatuation with the sport and the athleticism of the Belizean players, don’t
be surprised to see Belize pop up on the basketball radar of NBA scouts over
the next 10 – 15 years.

Colombia

Despite a relative lack of interest in the sport, Colombia is a country of future
promise on the court.

Basketball Popularity Ranking: Third to futból and Cycling

Current NBA Players: None.

Names you could see picked in the NBA draft in the next 4-5 years: Freddy Asprílla,
6’8" PF 1988; Juan Palacios, 6’8" SF/PF Louisville 1985.

Colombian Prospect Freddy Asprilla, of Calusa Prep. in Miami, Florida.

Basketball Culture:

	Freddy Aspirilla Photo: Rivals.com

Colombia is an up-and-coming basketball country. Talent-wise, they are part
of the lesser-known second tier of basketball countries in Latin America that
includes Mexico, Panama, Venezuela and Chile, among others. They strive to be
as developed as Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Argentina, but
they simply don’t have a long history of established basketball programs. Like
Belize, there are many athletic players in this country, and the style of play
is fluid with an emphasis on up-tempo play.

Interestingly, gender issues influence Colombian basketball culture. Because
of Colombia’s socially progressive culture, women have many options for sports
(even including rugby) and have predominantly chosen basketball. Colombia takes
pride in their highly developed women’s basketball leagues that are used to
preparing players for top competition. Colombia has produced two WNBA draft
picks, Lebys Torres, a 6’5" center who was picked with the 37th pick in
the 2001 WNBA draft, and PG Erica Valek, the heart and soul of the Colombian
National team who is currently playing professionally in Turkey Furthermore,
16 year old Tatiana Mosquera, another member of the adult National Team, is
one of the most actively recruited basketball prospects on the continent.

Colombia is only recently coming onto the scene an producing high caliber players.
Their prized prospect, Freddy Asprilla, is currently playing at Calusa Prep.
High School in Miami, Florida. As a true power forward, Asprilla is thought
of to have a much more polished game – with the athleticism to match – when
compared to countryman and potential 2006 2nd round draftee Juan Palacios who
has had a successful career thus far at the University of Louisville under Rick
Pitino. Though the country’s player representatives are eager to show the worth
of their talent, beyond Asprilla there is not a whole lot to get excited about
if you’re looking for the next NBA superstar.

Uruguay

Uruguay is an experienced basketball country in a stagnant developmental stage,
and does not seem to be growing nearly as rapidly as their Latin American neighbors.

Basketball Popularity Ranking: Second to futból, however there are not
many other national sports.

Current NBA Players: Esteban Batista, Atlanta Hawks.

Names you could see picked in the NBA draft in the next 4-5 years: Jason Granger
6’2" PG 1989; Gustavo "Panchi" Barrera 6’3" PG 1985.

Basketball Culture:

While in Montevideo, I attended several practices for the Uruguay under 18
National Team selections to see the future of Uruguayan basketball at its best.
When I players arrived on the court mixing Yerba Mate tea to sip on the sidelines
before warming up, I thought to myself how seamlessly basketball culture appears
to be woven into the fabric of Uruguayan everyday life. Yet, ashamedly so, I
couldn’t help wonder if the seriousness of a players’ approach to the game is
possibly affected by cultural nuances like this one. All I knew for sure was
that I found myself unimpressed with the product on the court.

One might think Uruguay would have a similar basketball culture to Brazil and
Argentina due to its close proximity to those countries and because of a shared
European lifestyle, but that is not the case. Uruguay is losing ground to basketball
powerhouse neighbors Brazil and Argentina, yet it is far from a new sport. Uruguay’s
National Basketball Federation began back in 1915, and the country has been
on the global basketball map since the 1930 Olympics when they won the bronze
medal. But recently, Uruguay has been somewhat washed-up in terms of producing
on the court. Young players can look to Esteban Batista, backup center for the
Atlanta Hawks as a role model on the court. But the fact that Batista didn’t
even start playing basketball until he was 17 years old is just one sign that
basketball is not a societal priority in Uruguay.

Watching the Under 18 National Team play, it was clear that lack of athleticism
and natural basketball instincts among Uruguayan players is what separates them
from those in the first tier of Latin American basketball cultures. Yet long
time Italian coach and repeatedly published basketball author Mario DeSisti
– who was hired recently to bring coaching expertise to Uruguay’s National teams
– expressed the need for better coaching. "The fundamentals of shooting
mechanics, team defense, and movement without the ball are new ideas for these
players," he told me in a tired voice during one practice session. "They’re
doing alright," he said with a facial expression that belied his desires
to be teaching more advanced aspects of the game.

Mario has forty years of coaching experience around the world. His hands-on
contributions to legitimize the basketball played on the international stage
are noteworthy. Yet the moment I entered the basketball scene in Uruguay it
became apparent to me what Mario De Sisti may have known for a long time: despite
their long history playing the sport as well as Batista’s presence in the NBA,
Uruguay will not be making a global impact any time soon.

Argentina

Argentina set the mold for Latino Basketball with supreme intelligence and
mastery of the game using their own unique interpretation of how the game should
be played.

Basketball Popularity Ranking: Second to futból.

Current NBA Players: Emanuel "Manu" Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs;
Andres Nocioni, Chicago Bulls; Carlos Delfíno, Detroit Pistons; Fabricio
Oberto, San Antonio Spurs.

Names you could see picked in the NBA draft in the next 4-5 years: Luis Scola,
6’9" PF 1980; Matias Sandes, 6-8 SF 1984; Matias Nocedal, 6´2"
PG 1990; Leonardo Mainoldi, 6’9" PF 1985; Diego Brezzo, 6’9" PF 1984.

Basketball Culture:

	Andres Nocioni and Manu Ginobili Photo: NBA.com

In a country with a competitive sports atmosphere comparable to the United
States, it’s a wonder that so many children choose to play basketball with all
the other sports at their disposal. Most of this has to do with the success
of Manu Ginobili, who many South Americans consider the Argentinean Michael
Jordan, and have elevated him to rock-star status. While his ability is certainly
not at the same level, the search is on for the next Manu. There is a lot of
exceptional talent in this country, but Manu’s athleticism is an outlier compared
to the typical Argentinean basketball player.

If anyone embodies the stereotype of the Argentinean basketball player, it is
former Temple University point guard (the first Argentinean in the NBA) Juan
"Pepe" Sanchez. Composed and intelligent, Pepe knows he’s not the
most athletic player on the floor but he uses positioning to separate himself
from the competition, literally and figuratively. Pepe is an idol to the average
Argentinean because he used his mind to reach the NBA. This stereotype of the
Argentinean athlete is replicated throughout Argentina’s A-league, the top level
of basketball competition in Buenos Aires. Interestingly, if you take a peak
at an Argentinean futból match, you will notice that the same style of
play that has made Pepe Sanchez successful on the basketball court is also what
makes Argentineans successful on the futból field. When faced with the
realities of one’s athletic limitations, a good athlete will use anything to
gain advantage in the throws of competition. Unfortunately, this has created
an abnormally high frequency of body contact and a surprising and unique phenomenon
on the court that is tarnishing the game in Argentina.

Argentineans play basketball like they play futból, literally. They
have turned basketball into an art form, simultaneously playing the ball while
fighting with the opposing player for position. It is astounding how they can
keep their concentration on playing each sport (basketball or futból)
with all the intentional grabbing, pushing, and general use of the other players
balance and positioning to their advantage. Anytime there is contact, the offensive
player and his defender are both using sly, underhanded techniques to get the
referee to make the call in their favor. Essentially, both players are fouling
each other in every situation, ensuring that if their initial authentic performance
doesn’t get the job done on the court they are at least baiting the referee.
Thus each referee decision is an extremely difficult one to call, which wouldn’t
be such a problem if it didn’t change the game so dramatically by turning it
into a contact sport. The result can be excruciatingly frustrating to watch,
due also to the fact that the A league referee union of the Liga Nacional de
Basquet recently went on strike leaving inexperienced replacement referees to
control style of play.

Not surprisingly, this is much more of a problem in Argentina than in other
futból-oriented countries like Brazil, where players use their athleticism
to gain the competitive edge in basketball. But can you fault Argentinean players
for their effort and intelligence? The referees are often forced to make the
call based on which player demonstrates the most aggressive strategy on a particular
play. Thus yielding to this style of play with a toned-down approach would undoubtedly
result in loss. With such intelligent scrappiness is exactly the way a good
coach would want them to play.

	Matias Nocedal Photo: Jose Montes/ www.elcorreodigital.com

Argentinean golden boy Manu Ginobili plays with this same approach, but as
he is a multiple slam dunk contest winner growing up in Argentina, he has the
athleticism to rise above a reliance on these physical shenanigans to separate
himself from the competition. Ginobili is exceptional at making and taking contact,
using crafty body control techniques while maintaining his balance to finish
at the rim. There are others that defy this stereotype as well, for example
Matias Nocedal, a guard who is looking like a sure NBA prospect at only 16 years
old, uses tremendous quickness and athleticism to gain the competitive edge.

Yet there are many other Argentinean players who must be as aggressive and
scrappy in as much of a futbol oriented way as possible to make up for lack
of natural athleticism. Looking at how Argentina is revered by their neighbors
because of the impact their players are making in the NBA, there doesn’t seem
to be a reason for Argentinean basketball to change its unique style of play.
Argentina will continue to be a Latin American leader on the international basketball
stage, proud of having set the mold for exceptional coaching and well-established
system for talent development.

16 year old Argentinean prospect Matias Nocedal in Castelar, Buenos Aires.

Brazil

Basketball Popularity Ranking: Third behind volleyball and futból.

Current NBA Players: Nené (formerly Maybyner Helario), Denver Nuggets;
Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns; Anderson Varejáo, Cleveland Cavaliers,
Rafael Araujo, Utah Jazz, Marcus "Marquinhos" Viera Vinicius , New
Orleans Hornets

Names you could see picked in the NBA draft in the next 4-5 years: Tiago Splitter,
6’11" PF/C 1985; ); Marcus Toledo 6’8" SF/PF 1986; Eric Soares, 6’9"
SF 1986; ; Vitor Tatsch, 7’0" PF 1988; Paulao Prestes, 6’10" C ’88;
Tiago Negrizolli, 6’10" SF/PF 1988; Caio Torres, 6’11" C 1987; Jhonatan
Luz Dos Santos, 6’5" SG 1987; Thyago Aleo 6’1" PG 1989.

Basketball Culture:

	Leandro Barbosa

All of Brazil was shocked when Rafael Araujo was picked 8th by the Toronto
Raptors in the 2004 NBA draft. This might not seem strange at first, since the
rest of the basketball world was also scratching their heads, but wouldn’t you
think he’d be more highly thought of in his home country? Brazilians thought
he was a solid player, but not that good, especially since his big, hulking
composite represents the antithesis of the prototypical Brazilian athlete.

Brazil seems to be a country of natural born athletes, a society that loves
sports and plays them all with the utmost agility. This is the country that
is perennially the best at the number one sport on the globe: futból.
They are a people known for capoera, the martial art that focuses on core strength,
balancing on your feet in awkward positions, and on your hands when necessary.
Sports are as much a part of beach culture here as sunbathing is. You are sure
to come upon locals playing volleyball in the sand, yet it wouldn’t be rare
if you saw them playing without their hands, amazingly using only their feet
to kick the ball over the net to the opposing team.

In Rio de Janeiro you will find beach basketball courts laid on top of the
sand, and mobile courts on wheels that are driven onto the beach. Brazil has
adopted basketball as a rapidly growing subculture. Within Latin America, the
professional street ball league And1 has expanded into Argentina, Chile, and
Brazil, but is the best fit for Brazil’s street culture. In a culture famous
for its gaudy carnival parades, street basketball fits right in. There are several
thriving amateur street ball leagues for both men and women with one-on-one,
two-on-two, three-on-three and four-on-four tournaments played in Sao Paulo
ever year. The loose style of play, where traveling is allowed, is organized
similarly to the traditional And1 model, but the baskets are sometimes set lower
than 10ft for more impressive trick dunks. (For more information on street basketball
in Brazil, visit www.and1.com.br, www.sebar.com.br, www.streetballbrasil.com.br,
or www.LIBBRA.com.br). These leagues are connected directly with hop-hop and
underground art culture, where you can find the b-boy, Graffiti, DJ, and break
dancing culture of the 1980s reproduced in its international contemporary form.
While much of basketball culture in the United States has been adopted here
in Brazil, it has taken on its own flavor influenced by national identity and
street culture. One of Brazil’s Indoor Streetball leagues, "SEBAR".

	Brazilian basketball legend, known simply as "Oscar".

In a country with a first world infrastructure and attitude, especially in
the expansive and modern urban centers, basketball culture is thriving. The
youth basketball leagues use the same structural system today, as was in place
when they started in the 1950s, although they were actually more popular back
then than they are now. Yet basketball was first introduced to Brazil as a sport
for women, since futból was supposedly a game for men. This caused many
men to shy away from playing. Basketball was further stifled in the 1980s when
the Brazilian volleyball team began winning Olympics medals consistently. Volleyball
blew up to become immensely popular and solidified itself as the second most
popular sport in the country behind futból. Despite the efforts of the
courageous and enigmatic Oscar Schmidt, leader of Brazilian National teams in
5 Olympic games, the sport struggled for attention. Yet the popularity of And1
and the recent success of NBA players Nené and Leandro Barbosa are spawning
a snowball-like resurgence of the sport in Brazil.

The competition in the Brazilian Basketball Confederation and the Federation
of Basketball of Sao Paulo is somewhere around U.S. Division 1, NIAA, or NIT
basketball. There are modern gymnasiums, solid coaching for youths and adults,
and there are lots of potential NBA prospects around the country. Brazil’s rivalry
with Argentina is well documented, and while many in both countries agree that
Argentina currently has better coaching, several Argentinean scouting contacts
revealed to me that Brazil has more talent.

Brazil has the quintessential make-up of a great basketball country because
they possess modern infrastructure, and superior athletes. The fact that Brazil
is by far the biggest country in Latin America and takes up half the size of
the South American continent makes it fairly easy to understand why the country
is producing the most talent in Latin America. Yet Brazilian basketball has
not yet reached its potential and is developing coaching and player development
personnel. Brazil has loads of promising young players and needs to take its
talent more seriously if it wants the rest of the world to do the same. It is
not easy to make an impact in the NBA for any South American country, yet over
the next 5-10 years as the coaching in country improves, look for Brazil to
be a major player in the NBA draft.

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Part 3