Bruno Caboclo on facing France, Germany, and Japan in the Olympics: "We need to go there with no fear. If you do a good job, you never know; basketball is a game that can go both ways. Hopefully, we can show how good Brazil is and accomplish more things."
Brazil secured their spot in the Paris Olympics with a 94-69 victory over Latvia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) held in Riga.
The South American giant dominated from the start, opening with an 8-0 run and making all eight of their three-point attempts in the first quarter. This impressive shooting gave them a commanding 23-point lead (34-11) after just 10 minutes.
The team was raining threes, but Brazil's big man, Bruno Caboclo, was dominating under the baskets like he did throughout the whole tournament.
No surprise, he earned the MVP of the competition after averaging 17.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 22.5 EFF per game and posting 21 points and 4 rebounds in the final against Latvia.
"The only thing I can do is give my best on the court. I was lucky to win MVP of the tournament, but I wouldn't have done that without the group we have and the coach's trust in me, so I am very glad for this group," Caboclo shared with BasketNews.
"We played a lot of games like that with the national team when we were in America [Americas Qualifiers]," he went on to say if he had ever seen Brazil playing this great. "But yeah, I know this group is able to play like this. Most of the guys did play in Brazil. I know who they are, and I am happy they were able to show it here."
During the stretch of those eight three-pointers, Caboclo stepped up himself. He nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer from his own half, which he later called the shot of his career. At 28, this moment was a highlight he won't forget.
"That was the craziest shot in my whole career," he stressed. "I thought I was going to airball it. But it went in, and it was very crazy."
Brazil and Latvia previously met during the FIBA World Cup 2023, where the Baltic nation defeated the South Americans 104-84, ending their tournament in the second stage. This time, the history is on Brazil's side.
"It was a redemption time for the World Cup. They played amazing basketball [last year]. But today, we came with a good mindset and played cool from the start to the end of the game. We were able to turn around the game," Caboclo said of these two FIBA encounters between the teams.
Brazil's qualification for the Paris Olympics has likely raised the country's spirit, especially after the Brazilian national football team suffered an early quarterfinal elimination against Uruguay in Copa America last night.
"I think we lifted their [our people's] spirit. I think we made something good for Brazil," Caboclo noted. "The soccer team is not doing so well right now, but I know they are going to work hard and give their best at their next opportunity."
Looking ahead, Brazil will compete in the Olympic Basketball Tournament Group B against host France, world champion Germany, and Asian powerhouse Japan.
"It's going to be very difficult," Caboclo assessed the upcoming opponents. "But we need to go there with no fear. If you do a good job, you never know; basketball is a game that can go both ways. Hopefully, we can show how good Brazil is and accomplish more things."
The Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade player is also set to face San Antonio Spurs and French NT star Victor Wembanyama in Paris.
"I like these kinds of challenges. I played against Victor in France when he was younger," said Caboclo, a former Limoges CSP athlete in 2021. "He is amazing. I don't know how much better he is right now, but I'm excited. We are going to make a game plan and go there and do our best."
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