Rafael Paulo de Lara Araújo (; born August 12, 1980) is a Brazilian former professional

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. He played for three years in the

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College career

After attending Padre Anacleto High School in

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, Araújo went to the

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to play

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, attending

Arizona Western College Arizona Western College (AWC) is a public community college in Yuma, Arizona. It offers associate degrees, occupational certificates, and transfer degrees. AWC also offers classes in Dateland, Parker, San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton. Aca ...

Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...

. In his freshman season (2000–01), he averaged 12.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.Prospect Profile: Rafael Araujo (Ha-fay-el Ar-RU-joe)
/ref> Araújo later explained that AWC coach Kelly Green gave him $400 to get his

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and establish himself in Yuma, despite coaches being forbidden to do so. As a sophomore, he tallied 17.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, leading the Matadors to a 28–3 record and a top ten national ranking among junior colleges. He was named Region Most Valuable Player and 2nd Team

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, State college (disambiguation), state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 sepa ...

All-American. At the same time Araújo was drafted for the

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at the 2002 World Championships, as NBA player

Nenê Nenê (; born Maybyner Rodney Hilário, September 13, 1982) is a Brazilian former professional basketball player. Known previously as Nenê Hilario, he legally changed his name to simply Nenê in 2003. Early life Born Maybyner Rodney Hilário i ...

could not attend the tournament. After finishing his junior college career, Araújo moved to

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Utah County, Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front, and lies between the cities of Orem, Utah, Orem to the north and Springville, Utah, Springville to the south ...

where as a junior (2002–03), he averaged 12.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game (second in the

Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference (MW) is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States, participating in NCAA Division I. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The MW officially began operations on Ja ...

). In his senior season, Araújo led BYU in scoring (18.4 points per game), rebounding (10.1 rebounds per game), steals (43 total), and blocked shots (25). He was named Co-Player of the Year in the Mountain West Conference, sharing the honor with

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

's Nick Welch.Araujo still eligible for MWC tourney
/ref> He was named 2nd Team NCAA

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by ''Basketball Times'' and Honorable Mention All-American by the

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. With his size and strength, the 6-foot-11, 295-pound Araújo impressed many pro scouts during his senior season. On December 6, 2003, he dominated a tough

Oklahoma State Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

team, totaling 32 points and 17 rebounds in BYU's 76–71 upset victory. He concluded his collegiate career with a 24-point, 12-rebound performance in the Cougars' 80–75 loss to

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in the NCAA Tournament.

Controversy

During the 2002 World Championships in

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, Araújo tested positive for the steroid

nandrolone Nandrolone, also known as 19-nortestosterone, is an endogenous androgen. It is also an anabolic steroid (AAS) which is medically used in the form of esters such as nandrolone decanoate (brand name Deca-Durabolin) and nandrolone phenylpropionate ...

. He was given a 24-month suspension from international play. He was subsequently found clean during tests while a player at BYU, and the NBA did not test players for steroid use. Araújo explained that the tests went positive because at the time he consumed a

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person's diet by taking a pill (pharmacy), pill, capsule (pharmacy), capsule, tablet (pharmacy), tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients eithe ...

containing

androstenedione Androstenedione, or 4-androstenedione (abbreviated as A4 or Δ4-dione), also known as androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, is an endogenous weak androgen steroid hormone and intermediate in the biosynthesis of estrone and of testosterone from dehydroe ...

, but he could still play because he was only suspended by

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...

, who does not sanction college basketball. Araújo was involved in multiple on-court incidents during his senior season at BYU. On March 6, 2004, Araújo was reprimanded by the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for hitting UNLV guard

Jerel Blassingame Jerel Romaine Blassingame (born September 12, 1981) is an American professional basketball player for AIK Basket of the Swedish second-tier Superettan. He is in height and plays at the point guard position. Amateur career Blassingame played at ...

during an 89–88 win.Mountain West Conference Reprimands Araujo
March 9, 2004 Six days later on March 12, in a 54–51 loss to

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, Araujo was charged with a technical foul for elbowing the Utes'

Andrew Bogut Andrew Michael Bogut (born 28 November 1984) is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach with the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). Bogut spent the majority of his career in t ...

in the head in the MWC Tournament.

Professional career

The

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

selected Araújo with the eighth pick in the

2004 NBA draft The 2004 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2004, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm ( EDT). In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur colle ...

, making him the first college senior drafted that year, one pick ahead of future NBA finals MVP Andre Iguodala. His NBA career was mostly disappointing with him seeing limited action as a rookie, averaging 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game. He set a career-high with 14 rebounds against the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

on January 5, 2005. Days later, on January 9, he scored a career-high 14 points against the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

. He later matched that total against the Kings on November 25, 2005. In the 2005-06 season, he again struggled through a disappointing year and had trouble getting playing time, averaging 11.6 minutes a game, 2.3 points, and 2.8 rebounds while shooting a dismal 36.6% from the field. Shortly after that season, Toronto GM Rob Babcock was fired, and it was rumored that the firing, in part, had to do with the drafting of Araújo. The player claimed he did not play much with the Raptors because then-coach Sam Mitchell held a grudge against Babcock, and thus he did not want to put Babcock's draft pick on the court. On June 8, 2006, Araújo was traded to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

with an undisclosed amount of money for

Kris Humphries Kristopher Nathan Humphries (born February 6, 1985) is an American former professional basketball power forward who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA for the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, ...

and Robert Whaley. Many viewed this as a new beginning for Araújo, a chance for him to change the direction of his career. He worked hard in Utah, dropping his weight from 295 pounds to 275 in an effort to improve his athleticism. He also expressed much interest as he already played in Utah during college. However, he did not fit in well in Utah's offense, which was already set with

Carlos Boozer Carlos Austin Boozer Jr. (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. The two-time NBA All-Star played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, and then spent his last season ...

Andrei Kirilenko Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko (; born February 18, 1981), nicknamed AK-47, is a Russian basketball executive and former professional basketball player. At age fifteen, Kirilenko began playing professional basketball in the Russian Basketball ...

and

Mehmet Okur Mehmet Murat Okur (born 26 May 1979) is a Turkish former professional basketball player. Listed at , he played as a power forward and center. Okur is known for his three-point shooting and ability to space the floor. In his seven seasons with t ...

in the frontcourt, and Araújo played sparingly during the 2006-07 season. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 28 games, averaging only 8.9 minutes per appearance. Araújo's rookie contract expired after the 2006–07 season, and Jazz owner

Larry H. Miller Larry H. Miller (April 26, 1944 – February 20, 2009) was an American businessman. He owned the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Utah Jazz and the Salt Lake Bees, a minor league baseball team. Miller and his companies, now known as the L ...

said publicly that he liked Araújo and hoped he could return to the team the following season. Araújo's final NBA game was played in Game 5 of the 2007 Western Conference Finals against the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

on May 30, 2007. Utah will lose the game 84 - 109, with Araújo recording 7 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal. San Antonio thus won the entire series 4 - 1. Araújo played for Utah in the 2007 Rocky Mountain Revue, but the Jazz signed 7-foot-1 Kyrylo Fesenko during the offseason, filling the roster spot that Araújo held previously. With that opportunity gone, and his NBA career likely over, Araújo signed a 1-year, $500,000 contract to play for Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia. Araújo claimed that despite the easy adaptation, his lack of European passport and Spartak's underperformances led him to leave. Araújo was in training camp with the NBA's

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

for 2008 but was waived before the 2008-09 season. He claimed that this happened because of the arrival of

Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time All-Star and a two-time member of the All-NBA Second Team, winning an N ...

, and because Araújo was not in top shape due to an injured knee.Baby: “Não tive muitas chances (na NBA) e as que tive não foram justas”
After a brief and failed stint at the

Shanghai Sharks The Shanghai Sharks ( zh, s=上海久事大鲨鱼, t=上海久事大鯊魚, p=Shànghǎi Jǐushì Dàshāyú) are a Chinese Basketball Association team based in Shanghai. The Sharks, who share their colors with the New York Knicks, are best know ...

, in January 2009, Araújo signed with Brazilian club

Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; ), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian multi sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea. It was founded and named after the Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo n ...

for the 2009 season. The details of his contract were not revealed. He became the star of the club's team alongside

Marcelinho Machado Marcelo "Marcelinho" Magalhães Machado (born 12 April 1975) is a former Brazilian professional basketball player. At a height of tall, and a weight of , he played at the shooting guard and small forward positions, with small forward being his ...

. Six months later, at the end of the 2009 season, he signed a deal with Paulistano for the 2009–10 season, and in June 2010 he transferred back to

signing a two-year contract. For his second stint at Flamengo, Araújo, for

numerology Numerology (known before the 20th century as arithmancy) is the belief in an occult, divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value, via an alphanumeric system, ...

reasons, changed the spelling of his nickname to "Bàbby" and his jersey number from 55 to 66. Araújo made headlines in January 2011 by shattering a glass backboard with a powerful dunk during a game in the

FIBA Americas League The FIBA Americas League ( Portuguese: ''FIBA Liga das Américas'', Spanish: ''FIBA Liga de las Américas''), officially abbreviated as the LDA, was the premier intercontinental basketball club competition played annually by clubs of the entire ...

. Video of the play was widely circulated across the Internet. In June 2011, he signed a deal with

Franca Basquetebol Clube Franca Basquetebol Clube ( English: Franca Basketball Club), most known as Franca, or Sesi Franca for sponsorship reasons, is a Brazilian men's professional basketball club that is based in Franca, São Paulo state.Franca is the most decorated ...

. In 2012, Araújo decided to retire, though he was open to return to basketball if he had a good proposal. In October 2012, Araujo returned to basketball, signing with

Mogi das Cruzes Mogi das Cruzes ( or ) is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, located within the metropolitan region of the state capital of the city of São Paulo. The population is 451,505 (2022 census) in an area of 713 km2. It is located 4 ...

. He moved to

Pinheiros Pinheiros (, "pine trees") is a district in the subprefecture of the same name in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Prior to development, the land which this borough occupies was dominated by the dense forest which contained a Brazilian subtropi ...

in 2014.

Career statistics

NBA

SourceRafael Araújo NBA Stats

Regular season

, - , align="left" , 2004–05 , align="left" ,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, 59 , , 41 , , 12.5 , , .434 , , .333 , , .782 , , 3.1 , , .3 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.3 , - , align="left" , 2005–06 , align="left" ,

, 52 , , 34 , , 11.6 , , .366 , , .000 , , .536 , , 2.8 , , .3 , , .5 , , .1 , , 2.3 , - , align="left" , 2006–07 , align="left" ,

, 28 , , 0 , , 8.9 , , .415 , , .000 , , .621 , , 2.4 , , .4 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 139 , , 75 , , 11.4 , , .405 , , .250 , , .679 , , 2.8 , , .3 , , .4 , , .1 , , 2.8

Playoffs

, - , align="left" ,

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, align="left" ,

, 5 , , 0 , , 5.6 , , .375 , , .000 , , .417 , , 2.2 , , .2 , , .2 , , .0 , , 2.2

References

External links

* *
NBA Draft BustsPlayer profile
@ Flamengo.com.br
Ex-Toronto Raptor Rafael Araujo shatters backboard in Brazil (Video)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Araujo, Rafael 1980 births Living people Arizona Western Matadors men's basketball players BC Spartak Saint Petersburg players Brazilian expatriate basketball people in Canada Brazilian expatriate basketball people in the United States Brazilian expatriate basketball people in Russia Brazilian men's basketball players BYU Cougars men's basketball players Centers (basketball) Club Athletico Paulistano basketball players Esporte Clube Pinheiros basketball players Flamengo basketball players Franca Basquetebol Clube players Mogi das Cruzes Basquete players NBA players from Brazil Novo Basquete Brasil players Sportspeople from Curitiba Toronto Raptors draft picks Toronto Raptors players Utah Jazz players 2002 FIBA World Championship players 21st-century Brazilian sportsmen