Emil Assad Rached (June 20, 1943 in
Vera Cruz – October 15, 2009 in
Campinas
Campinas (, ''Plains'' or ''Meadows'') is a Brazilian Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in São Paulo (state), São Paulo State, part of the country's Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast Region. According to the 2020 estimate, the city's popul ...
) was a Brazilian
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player of
Lebanese origin. In Brazil, he was commonly referred to as O Gigante ("The Giant").
He started his career in Palmeiras in 1964 and played basketball professionally up to 1980 for five more teams: XV de Piracicaba (SP), Corinthians (SP), Botafogo (RJ), Tênis Cube de Campinas (SP) and Rio Claro (SP). Rached participated at the
1967 FIBA World Championship
The 1967 FIBA World Championship was the 5th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. It was hosted by Montevideo, Uruguay from 27 May to 11 June 1967.
Venues
Competing nations
Compet ...
with the
Brazil national basketball team
The Brazil national basketball team is governed by the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (), abbreviated as CBB. They have been a member of the International Federation of Basketball (FIBA), since 1935. Brazil's national basketball team remain ...
. At 2.20 meters (7 ft 3 in), he was the tallest Brazilian player ever. For five years, he was part of the Brazilian national team. He won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Uruguay (1967), a gold medal in the Pan American Games in Cali (1971) and placed second in South America Argentina (1966). He scored 114 points in 18 official matches for Brazil.
CBB: Basquete de luto; Morreu Emil Rached
(in Portuguese)
After retiring from basketball, he had an acting career, most notably participation in a very popular Brazilian comedy TV show called ''Os Trapalhões'' and some movies with the same group.
References
1943 births
2009 deaths
Brazilian people of Lebanese descent
Brazilian men's basketball players
1967 FIBA World Championship players
Centers (basketball)
Pan American Games gold medalists in basketball
Pan American Games gold medalists for Brazil
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras basketball players
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista basketball players
Basketball players at the 1971 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1971 Pan American Games
Sportspeople of Lebanese descent
Basketball players from São Paulo
People from Vera Cruz, São Paulo
20th-century Brazilian sportsmen
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