Paris 2024 men’s basketball: Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo comes of age in win over Team Japan
The basketball world has known about Bruno Caboclo for a decade now, since the then 18-year-old Brazilian was taken 20th overall in the NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors.
ESPN analyst and former college coach Fran Fraschilla unintentionally tabbed Caboclo a major project by saying on air moments after he was drafted: “He’s two years away from being two years away.” That phrase has stuck with the 6ft 9in Caboclo throughout a 10-year professional career that has taken him to the NBA, G-League, France, Brazil, Mexico, Germany and now Serbia.
Throughout his journey, he has remained loyal to the Brazilian national team and, at age 28, was an integral part of Brazil qualifying for the Olympic Games for the first time since 2016.
And with a chance to reach the knockout round still a possibility, Caboclo avoided the foul trouble that has plagued his tournament and carried Brazil to a critical 102-84 win over Japan with 33 points and 17 rebounds in less than 30 minutes.
The guy tabbed being “two years away” isn’t that far anymore. Caboclo was the best player on the floor Friday at Pierre Mauroy Stadium, displaying the potential that prompted several NBA teams to sign him over the years.
Caboclo also drained all four of his three-point attempts in a masterpiece performance, as Brazil took advantage of a Japan team without star forward and NBA player Rui Hachimura, who was scratched with a calf injury. According to the Japanese Basketball Federation, Hachimura has left the team.
Bruno Caboclo of Team Brazil dunks the ball during the Group B match against Team Japan
Caboclo shows his staying power
As for Brazil, it finally played to its potential because Caboclo stayed on the floor. He played a combined 24 minutes and committed nine fouls in losses to France and Germany. He managed just six points. Against the Japanese, he played with freedom, soaring over defenders for layups, muscling for rebounds and putbacks and then adding a dash of three-point shooting to complete his all-around effort.
“Today I was able to play a lot and stay on the court, unlike the previous games,” Caboclo said. “I played more than 12, 13 minutes. I have dealt with this before, it’s not the first time. I need to be more aware.”
Caboclo scored 15 of his team’s first 31 points, as Brazil jumped out to a lead it would never relinquish. It was Brazil’s first Olympic win since winning a pair of games at Rio 2016, but this is Caboclo’s first time on his Olympic platform and he flourished when his country desperately needed it.
“This is the biggest stage of basketball, the national team,” he said. “It’s bigger than NBA and anything. Olympics is the biggest in the world and every athlete wants to be here at least one time. We were able to accomplish that and hopefully we can go to the quarter-finals.”
Bruno Caboclo hasn’t given up on NBA dream
Caboclo has had his share of chances to stick in the NBA. He has played 105 games with four teams and also been in a couple of training camps. He signed with the Boston Celtics in August 2022 but was waived before training camp even began. Last fall, he signed a two-year deal with Partizan Belgrade and plans to return there, unless…
“Right now, I still think I have a little hope (to play in the NBA),” he said. “If I’m not able to, I won’t be sad. I’ll keep doing my best. I think I have a little window and I’m going to do my best. Besides the national team, the NBA is the biggest basketball in the world, so I would love to be in there and play with the best.”
Brazilian coach Aleksandar Petrovic said a fully engaged Caboclo makes his team more dangerous and impactful and that wasn’t the case in the losses to France and Germany by a combined 25 points. Against Germany, Brazil was a plus-14 in Caboclo’s 13 minutes, a testament to his influence when on the floor. This was a different Brazilian team Friday because it was a different Caboclo.
“For him, I think the huge impact is he was voted MVP of the Olympic (qualifying) in Latvia and played an impressive tournament,” Petrovic said. “Unfortunately for us and for Bruno, he had a very difficult physical impact with France and Germany. Today’s game shows how he is important. I could only imagine what it means when he stays 30 minutes (against Germany). He’s an exceptional player, but you need to have a good atmosphere around him.”
Gary Washburn is an Olympic Channel correspondent and National NBA Writer for the Boston Globe.