The FIBA pre-Olympics for Paris 2024 are a couple of days away from being defined. The four tournaments that give one place each are already in the semi-final phase, level ground in order to meet the last qualifiers for the men’s basketball of the Olympic Games. Among these teams that are still in the race for tickets is Brazil, which thanks to its historic Marcelinho Huertas, has reached the top four in the Latvian competition.
At 41 years old, the regular seasons already weigh on the body. That is why Marcelinho’s presence with Brazil was not expected, especially after the exhausting season he had with CB Canarias in the ACB League. In fact, Aleksandar Petkovic himself, the coach of the Brazilian team, confessed in a press conference that the point guard was not going to be considered for the pre-Olympic: “He was not supposed to be with us anymore,” said the Croatian coach.
It was a matter of respect, because these types of stars should always be considered. “You can’t call someone who is 40 or 41 years old, has a family, has 3 children. He has had an incredible season with the Canary Islands. I didn’t want to put pressure on him despite our problems. 7 or 8 days ago he called me and told me: ” “I’m prepared” because he knew we had problems. ‘Chappo’ for Marcelinho, he has helped us in a very difficult moment. It’s another opportunity to say “thank you” to the captain,” concluded the Brazil coach.
The Brazilians reached the semi-finals of the pre-Olympic tournament in Latvia after losing to Cameroon and beating Montenegro, in a match where Marcelinho contributed 17 points.
How are the pre-Olympics going? Check on Sportsin the positions of each group and the semifinals, to be played this Saturday, June 6.
Greece Pre-Olympic
Group A
1. Croatia (1-1)
2. Slovenia (1-1)
3. New Zealand (1-1)
Group B
1. Greece (2-0)
2. Dominican Republic (1-1)
3. Egypt (0-2)
Semifinals
Croatia vs. Dominican Republic
Greece vs Slovenia
Spain Pre-Olympic
Group A
1. Spain (2-0)
2. Lebanon (1-1)
3. Angola (0-2)
Group B
1. Bahamas (2-0)
2. Finland (1-1)
3. Poland (0-2)
Semifinals
Spain vs Finland
Bahamas vs Lebanon
Latvian Olympic Qualifiers
Group A
1. Latvia (1-1)
2. Philippines (1-1)
3. Georgia (1-1)
Group B
1. Brazil (1-1)
2. Cameroon (1-1)
3. Montenegro (1-1)
Semifinals
Latvia vs Cameroon
Brazil vs Philippines
Puerto Rico Pre-Olympic
Group A
1. Lithuania (2-0)
2. Mexico (1-1)
3. Ivory Coast (0-2)
Group B
1. Puerto Rico (2-0)
2. Italy (1-1)
3. Bahrain (0-2)
Semifinals
Lithuania vs Italy
Puerto Rico vs Mexico