Author: Monojit Mandal
Rio de Janeiro basketball team Botafogo has formally decided to return to the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) league for the 2023/24 season. This remarkable development follows a three-year break from the sport’s main national event. The news was covered by “Canal do TF” and “O Dia”.
During an important meeting with the board of the National Basketball League (LNB) on Monday, the Glorioso, as Botafogo is popularly called, successfully went through the process of collecting all the necessary documents and financial guarantees. This allows them to compete in the renowned league.
Botafogo last played in the NBB in the 2019/2020 season, when they finished in ninth place. Unfortunately, the tournament was interrupted due to the advent of the Covid-19 epidemic, which caused it to be suspended.
In 2019, the team made basketball history by winning the South American Basketball League under the direction of coach Léo Figueiró, who is currently in charge of Vasco. The Glorioso then played in the Campeonato Brasileiro, which is comparable to the second tier of the league, in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
Botafogo Basquete, the professional men’s basketball team of Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, has a long history. Since it was founded in 1933, the club has won five Rio de Janeiro State Championships (1939, 1942, 1960, 1961 and 1962), a Taça Brasil championship (1967) and a South American League trophy in 2019.
The team also produced some of the best basketball players in Brazil, leaving an unshakeable mark on the sport. Martha, a legendary figure in Brazilian women’s basketball with four Olympic medals, Marcelinho Machado, a skilled point guard with 15 seasons in the NBA, Marcelinho Huertas, another talented point guard with nine seasons in the NBA, and Bruno Caboclo, an agile pivot with three seasons in the NBA, are all associated with Botafogo Basquete.
Botafogo Basquete has a large and dedicated fan base, making it one of the most popular basketball teams in Brazil. While the team makes its long-awaited return to the NBB, its arena, the Nilton Santos Gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro, will probably be the scene of exciting games and memorable memories.