Wlamir Marques (born July 16, 1936), also known simply as Wlamir, is a Brazilian former

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player and coach. He is considered to be one of the best Brazilian basketball players of all time, and to have been one of the best players in the world during the 1960s. Alongside fellow countrymen

Amaury Pasos Amaury Antônio Pasos, also commonly known simply as Amaury (born December 11, 1935) is a retired Brazilian basketball player and coach of Argentine origin. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, he was a 1.91 m (6'3") tall power forward. He competed at thr ...

, Algodão, and Rosa Branca, he led the best basketball generation Brazil ever had. At a height of 1.85 m (6'1") tall, he played at the

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger ...

position. He was nicknamed "The Flying Saucer", and "The Blonde Devil". Along with Kresimir Cosic, Marques is one of the top two medalists in FIBA World Cup history, having won 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals. He was named one of

FIBA's 50 Greatest Players FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991) is the list of the 50 greatest players in the history of FIBA international basketball, as selected in the year 1991, by FIBA Magazine. The list was created in honor of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the ...

in 1991. The

Ginásio Poliesportivo Wlamir Marques The Ginásio Poliesportivo Wlamir Marques (English: Wlamir Marques Multi-sport Gymnasium), previously known as the Ginásio Poliesportivo Parque São Jorge (São Jorge Park Multi-sport Gymnasium), is a multipurpose indoor arena that is located in ...

arena is named after him, in his honor.

Club career

At the club level, Marques played as a junior with São Vicente, and at the senior level with XV de Novembro, S.C. Corinthians, and Tênis Clube Campinas. He won the Brazilian League in 1965, 1966, and 1969, with S.C. Corinthians. He won the

FIBA Intercontinental Cup The FIBA Intercontinental Cup, also commonly referred to as the FIBA World Cup for Champion Clubs, or the FIBA Club World Cup, is a professional basketball clubs competition that is endorsed by FIBA and the NBA. Historically, its purpose has b ...

's 1965 Test Cup championship, a game in which he scored 51 points.Long, rich history of FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
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National team career

Marques played for the senior men's Brazilian national team, and with them he won the 1959 FIBA World Championship and the

1963 FIBA World Championship The 1963 FIBA World Championship was the 4th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. The competition was hosted by Brazil. The Philippines was originally supposed to host the tournament but FIBA ...

gold medals. He was the MVP of the 1963 FIBA World Championship. He also won silver medals at the 1954 FIBA World Championship and

1970 FIBA World Championship The 1970 FIBA World Championship was the 6th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. It was hosted by Yugoslavia in Sarajevo, Split, Karlovac, Skopje and Ljubljana, from 10 to 24 May 1970. It was ...

. He won bronze medals at the

1960 Summer Olympic Games The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

and the 1964 Summer Olympic Games, a silver medal at the

1963 Pan American Games The 1963 Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963, in São Paulo, Brazil. Host city selection For the first time, two cities submitted bids to host the 1963 Pan American Games that were recognized by the Pan American Sports O ...

, and bronze medals at the 1955 Pan American Games and

1959 Pan American Games The 1959 Pan American Games were held in Chicago, Illinois, United States between August 28 and September 7, 1959. Host city selection One city initially submitted a bid to host the 1959 Pan American Games that was recognized by the Pan Am ...

Post-playing career

After his basketball playing career ended, Marques worked as a head

basketball coach Basketball coaching is the act of directing and strategizing the behavior of a basketball team or individual basketball player. Basketball coaching typically encompasses the improvement of individual and team offensive and defensive skills, as wel ...

. He then worked as a sports commentator for basketball games on

ESPN Brasil ESPN is the Brazilian division of ESPN Inc. Launched in March 1989 as Canal+, it was the first country-specific version of ESPN outside the United States, launched in June 1995. The channel has covered major sporting events, like the 1996, 2000, ...

, and has been an active personality on the show called, "Brazilian Basketball Reborn", working as an important voice on TV and internet channels.

References

External links

FIBA ProfileCBB Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marques, Wlamir 1936 births Living people Brazilian basketball coaches Brazilian men's basketball players 1954 FIBA World Championship players 1959 FIBA World Championship players 1963 FIBA World Championship players 1970 FIBA World Championship players Basketball players at the 1955 Pan American Games Basketball players at the 1959 Pan American Games Basketball players at the 1963 Pan American Games Basketball players at the 1956 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1960 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1964 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1968 Summer Olympics FIBA World Championship-winning players Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Olympic basketball players of Brazil Olympic bronze medalists for Brazil Olympic medalists in basketball Pan American Games silver medalists for Brazil Pan American Games bronze medalists for Brazil Pan American Games medalists in basketball People from São Vicente, São Paulo Small forwards Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras basketball coaches Sport Club Corinthians Paulista basketball coaches Sport Club Corinthians Paulista basketball players Medalists at the 1955 Pan American Games Sportspeople from São Paulo (state)