Bruno Caboclo, in an extensive interview with Mozzart Sport, talked about his upbringing in Brazil, his time at Partizan, and Nikola Jokic.
The Brazilian center revealed at the beginning of the conversation that in his early youth, he dreamed of becoming a soldier, but his mother was the one who directed his family towards sports.
“As a kid, I wanted to be a soldier; I don’t even know exactly why. I liked how soldiers looked, how everyone respected them. However, my mother was the one who pushed my whole family towards sports, and that’s how it all started.“
He feels at home in Belgrade, and currently, James Nunnally provides him with the greatest support.
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“I never thought I would live in Serbia when I grew up, but what immediately became clear to me is that people in Serbia are emotional and passionate sports fans just like in Brazil. So, I feel at home. Everyone treats me great, both people in the city and in the club. From the first day I entered the locker room, everyone has been helping me,” said Bruno Caboclo, and added:
“Everyone has been open and generous. Americans have helped me a lot, especially James Nunnally. He talks to me all the time, gives me advice. I have to mention Alen Smailagic. We played against each other in America when we were in the developmental NBA league. I have a good connection with him.”
The duel with Nikola Jokic undoubtedly had a significant impact on the further development of the career of Partizan’s new center.
“When I guarded Jokic, I realized that I needed to gain weight; he was much heavier than me. It was impossible to stop him. After that, I focused on weight and muscle mass to become a better center. I tried to guard him because I am a good athlete, but it’s really tough. I don’t know…
I always tried to find a way. If I had more time, maybe I could have achieved something against Jokic. My mentality is always to try to find a way to stop the opponent, but he is definitely already a legendary player.”
Bruno Caboclo emphasizes how much it means to him that Yago dos Santos is also in Belgrade, despite being on opposite sides.
“With Yago, I went to Germany, where I got used to Europe and faster basketball. We talk all the time now that we are in Belgrade. Yago is a fantastic basketball player, he is my friend, now also a rival. I have to admit that I enjoy having him here.
Both of us are far from home, providing support to each other. I can’t wait to play against each other, it will be great. He told me a bit about the derby. He says the fans are crazy, that I have never experienced such a match. That everything happens, and it’s complete madness. I can’t wait to see it.”
At the end of the conversation, he also reflected on how Zeljko Obradovic sees basketball and how significant his approach and mindset are.
“Zeljko Obradovic is on a completely different level. He sees basketball in a completely different way, I’m not even close to understanding how he sees it all. He helps me the most with small details, and when he says something to me, I try to apply it to my game. He is definitely the best coach I have worked with so far. Every day, he tries to help us improve our game, and I think he is the main reason we win games. Also, the assistants are very dedicated to everything.”