Brazil is standing on the path of a US-based storm in the Paris Olympics. After dominating the group stages, Team USA will be more than ready to take on Brazil in the quarter-finals. Despite all the struggles Brazil faced, be it an underwhelming run or barely making it through the group stages, the 34-year-old Vítor Benite is all set to offer the South American side a beacon of hope.

Just like the USAB team, the Brazilian side has also consistently performed well on the global stage. The country has produced various stars for the NBA, like Leandro Barbosa and Anderson Varejão. However, gone are those days! Now the team is left with a young, inexperienced side. Moreover, Dubs star Draymond Green predicted a blow-out loss for Brazil in the quarter-final, reasoning its inexperience.

However, among the youngsters, Vítor Benite is a promising veteran gem hidden in the roster. The 6 ‘4 shooting guard has emerged as one of the consistent players on the roster. Even though Benite didn’t have an NBA career, he sure did become a national hero with his stint in Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). The Sao Paulo-born baller began his professional career playing for Pinheiros during the inaugural season of NBB in 2009.

Following that, he represented various teams like Franca, Limeira, and Flamengo (2011-12 – 2014-2015), where he won three championships in a row.

Since 2015, Benite has been playing in overseas tournaments in Spain and Croatia. Currently, he plays for Palencia Baloncesto, a Spanish team in Liga ACB. Apart from his professional career, he also represented Brazil in the FIBA WC multiple times and in the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Vítor Benite’s accolades

Importantly, in the current Paris Olympics, Vitor Benite has outperformed Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. In the three games, Benite averaged 14.4 ppg with a high score of 19 points against Japan. With a total of 43 points scored in three games, the Brazilian guard has outscored Curry by 21 points, who has only scored 22 points so far in the tournament.

Stephen Curry’s stats in the Olympic group stage

Even though Stephen Curry showed signs of his mastery from the perimeter, he hasn’t really had a great game yet. In the three games in the group stage, Curry has averaged 7.3 ppg with a high score of 11 points against Serbia. Most importantly, the superstar has struggled to shoot the ball throughout the tournament. Notably, in the second game against the Bright Stars South Sudan, the superstar went 0-6 from the 3-point line and finished the game with 3 points.

On the other hand, Vítor Benite, in his last group stage against Japan, dropped 5 three-pointers with an impressive 5-7 3FG. Nevertheless, given the superstar’s ability, Steph can blow up at any time. At the same time, Team USA barely requires a one-man show, considering the talent pool in the roster.

As the quarter-finals approach, all eyes will be on Benite and Curry. Can Benite maintain his form, or will Curry break his slump? What’s your take? Let us know in the comments below.

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