With Flabasquete players, check out the full list of players called up for the Brazilian national team

The second phase of the Basketball Development League (LDB), the main youth tournament in Brazilian basketball, began this Tuesday (29). The city of Rio de Janeiro hosts the clashes of group A.2 , with matches taking place at the Hélio Maurício gym, located at Flamengo's headquarters, in Gávea.

Flabasquete makes its competition debut this Wednesday (30), at 2 pm, against the Fortaleza team. The day's round started earlier, with CETAF facing Vasco/Tijuca at 9:30 am. This stage will be played until next Monday (5), with three games scheduled per day.

In addition to Flamengo, CETAF, Fortaleza, and Vasco/Tijuca, other teams also make up this group: Botafogo and UNIFACISA. The red-and-black club plays at home in this stage , after having participated in the first stage in São Paulo, at Paulistano.

COMPETITION SEEKS TO REVEAL TALENTS

Organized by the National Basketball League (LNB) in partnership with the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB) , the LDB's main purpose is to develop young athletes and strengthen the sport's youth ranks. The competition has been an important showcase for discovering new talent.

FLAMENGO TEAM COUNTS JEWELS

Flamengo's squad boasts promising young players such as Renato Nascimento, Leonardo Amorim Sihman, Bruno Gusmão, Jonathas Lira, Matheus Gueiros, Matheus Leoni, Anthony Reyes, Yan Marun, Israel Atademo, Emanuel Fernandes, Lucas Milchevski, and Crysthian Pena. The team is led by coach Christiano Pereira.

A perennial Flamengo basketball idol, Olivinha continues to demonstrate his charisma and strong connection with the Flamengo fans —now also off the court. The former power forward launched his YouTube channel and invited fans to subscribe to follow a new phase of his career.

"Anyone who can subscribe to the channel will be a huge help. I already did a live stream today, but I want to start doing it more often . I want to talk about sports, Flamengo, video games, and whatever we want to talk about. Subscribe, everyone," Olivinha said in a social media post .

FLAMENGO IS OLIVINHA'S FOCUS

On the channel, the former player promises to cover a variety of topics, with a focus on the world of Flamengo, but also covering sports in general, video games, and everyday topics . The goal is to create a lighthearted, interactive environment that reflects the nation.

For those who watched Olivinha in the gyms, this is an opportunity to get to know him even better —now on a new stage, but with the same passion he always had for wearing the Sacred Mantle. To date, the historic number 16's channel has 330 subscribers.

OLIVINHA'S STORY WITH FLAMENGO

Hired after excelling at Uberlândia, Olivinha quickly became one of the biggest names in red-and-black basketball . During his first stint, he won over the fans with his dedication, tactical intelligence, and team spirit. After a brief absence, he returned in 2012 and actively participated in the club's most successful run in the sport's history.

With Olivinha on the court, Flamengo lifted important trophies, such as:

• 7 NBB titles (2008–09, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2020–21, 2021–22)
• League of the Americas (2014)
• Intercontinental Cup (2014)
• Several state and Super 8 Cup achievements

In addition to his achievements, he was a captain, a role model for younger players, and a leader. Off the court, he always cultivated an image marked by humility, good humor, and a strong social media presence —virtues he will now bring to his YouTube channel.

Flamengo is close to finalizing its roster for the 2025/26 basketball season . The club has finalized the signing of 23-year-old Argentine Alex Negrete , one of the standout performers in the last season of the Argentine National League. A standout at Instituto de Córdoba, the player is expected to activate his release clause to join the Pride of the Nation.

The information was published by the Argentine newspaper La Voz, which revealed that the athlete's agent announced his departure shortly after the end of the national finals. According to the report, the club's coach, Sergio Hernández, was directly involved in the negotiations and contacted the Argentine club's board.

SPOTLIGHT IN ARGENTINA AND DEBUT IN THE MAIN TEAM

Negrete finished the season averaging 13.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game , shooting 53.2% from two-point range and 33.8% from three. He was the Instituto's top scorer and was named the tournament's Best Young Player and Most Improved Player. Having played for Argentina's youth teams, he recently made his senior national team debut and is reporting for training in Madrid this week.

PERIMETER REINFORCEMENT

Although originally a shooting guard, Alex Negrete arrives to bolster the rotation on the wings, adding versatility to Sergio Hernández's squad. With him, Flamengo ends its search for another perimeter player , now comprised of players with multiple roles and the ability to adapt to different formations.

CAST DEFINED FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES

With Negrete's arrival, Flamengo completes its roster overhaul for next season. In addition to the Argentine, the club has renewed key players, confirmed Markeith Cummings, and announced three other signings to compete in the New Basketball Brazil (NBB) , the Champions League of the Americas, and the FIBA Interclub World Cup. Here's the Flamengo roster for 2025/26 (the names officially confirmed are in bold):

• Shipowners: Alexey and Franco Baralle
• Shooting guards: Daniel Owenu and Alex Negrete
• Wings: Shaq Johnson, Gui Deodato and Jhonatan Luz
• Power Forwards: Kayo Gonçalves and Markeith Cummings
• Pivots: Ruan Miranda and Wesley Castro
• Coach: Sergio Hernandez