Our good friends over at Spurs Brasil sent us this tidbit from Draft Brasil.
According to Draft Brasil, the San Antonio Spurs, as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers, are rumored to play at the 2014 NBA Global Games in Brazil. The report goes on to state that due to the popularity of the 2013 Rio NBA Global Games this summer, efforts are being made to continue to bring in top NBA-Brazilian players, such as Spurs' Tiago Splitter, back to Brazil and spread the NBA globally.
This year's Global Games featured Wizards' Nene, who hails from Brazil, as Washington faced the Bulls. However, Brazilian fans did not welcome Nene back with open arms as he was booed for not playing with the Brazilian national team in recent years.
That won't be the case for Tiago.
Splitter sat out this summer's FIBA Americas tournament but did represent his home country at the 2011 FIBA Americas tournament. He has also guided Team Brazil to gold medals at the 2003 Pan American Games, and at the 2005 and 2009 FIBA Americas Championship.
Though this has not been confirmed by the NBA or the Spurs and it could be all conjecture but NBA Brazil Director, Arnon de Mello, did weigh in on the topic.
"At NBA Brazil, we will strive to always have a game in which some Brazilian is present. We need role models. We need to bring back our athletes so that they are more recognized in Brazil, become role models and thereby also get the NBA to be on the minds of children, the people, to help raise the Brazilian league and basketball can return to being the second sport of Brazil."
