Ubiratan Pereira Maciel

Ubiratan "Bira" Pereira Maciel, commonly known as Bira Maciel, or simply Bira (January 18, 1944 – July 17, 2002), was a professional basketball player from Brazil. He was born in São Paulo, Brazil. At a height of 1.99 m (6' 6​1⁄2") tall,[1] he played at the center position. He is often regarded as the best Brazilian center of all time.[2][3] He was nicknamed "O Rei" (English: "The King").

Ubiratan Pereira Maciel
Maciel, as a member of Trianon Clube, in 1972.
Personal information
Born(1944-01-18)January 18, 1944
São Paulo, Brazil
DiedJuly 17, 2002(2002-07-17) (aged 58)
Brasilia, Brazil
NationalityBrazilian
Listed height6 ft 6.5 in (1.99 m)
Listed weight212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
Playing career1960–1982
PositionPower forward / Center
Number6
Career history
1960–1961Clube Espéria
1961–1969Corinthians
1969–1972Venezia
1972Trianon Clube
1972–1973Sírio
1973–1978Palmeiras
1978–1982São José dos Campos
Career highlights and awards
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Representing  Brazil
Men's Basketball
Summer Olympic Games
1964 TokyoTeam
FIBA World Cup
1963 BrazilTeam
1970 YugoslaviaTeam
1967 UruguayTeam
1978 PhilippinesTeam
Pan American Games
1963 São PauloTeam
1975 Mexico CityTeam
1979 San JuanTeam
FIBA South American Championship
1963 LimaTeam
1968 AsunciónTeam
1971 MontevideoTeam
1973 BogotáTeam
1977 ValdiviaTeam

Club career

Maciel won the top-tier level club league in Brazil, the Brazilian Basketball Championship, 5 times, in the years 1965, 1966, 1969, 1977, and 1981.

National team career

With the senior Brazilian national basketball team, Maciel won a total of 8 medals at the Summer Olympic Games, FIBA World Cup, and Pan American Games.

Ubiratan Pereira Maciel played at 5 FIBA World Cups: (1963, 1967, 1970, 1974, and 1978). He totaled 41 games played and 474 points scored during those competitions, and he won a gold medal at the 1963 tournament in Brazil.[4][5][6]

Post-playing career

Maciel was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. He was awarded the FIBA Order of Merit in 1994. In 2009, he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, as a player. On April 5, 2010, Maciel was announced as a member of the 2010 induction class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as a player, and was formally inducted on August 13.[7]

References
  1. HALL OF FAMERS Ubiratan Pereira (Brazil) Height: 199cm (6'6") Position: Center.
  2. Ubiratan Pereira Maciel, 58, Dies; Best Center in the History of Brazilian Basketball.
  3. A lenda do Cavalo de Aço (in Portuguese).
  4. "Fiba archive players". fiba.com.
  5. "Fiba archive players Maciel Pereira". fiba.com.
  6. "Squads 1963". linguasport.com.
  7. "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2010" (Press release). Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 2010-04-05. Archived from the original on 2010-04-09. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
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