Vítor Alves Benite (born February 20, 1990), commonly known as Vítor Benite, or simply as Benite, is a Brazilian-Italian 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 for

Real Betis Baloncesto Real Betis Baloncesto S.A.D., simply known as Real Betis, is a professional basketball team based in Seville, Spain. The team plays in the LEB Oro, the second basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system after the Liga ACB. It pl ...

of the

LEB Oro The Primera FEB, formerly known as LEB or LEB Oro, is the second basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system after the Liga ACB. It is run by the Spanish Basketball Federation, FEB. The FEB leagues are divided into three categorie ...

. At a height of 1.94 m (6'4 ") tall, he plays at the

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

position. He also represents the senior

Brazilian 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 ...

Early life

Benite was born in

Jundiaí Jundiaí is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo, in the Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast Region of Brazil, located north of São Paulo. The population of the city is 443,221, with an area ...

, 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 ...

state. His father, Francisco Carlos Benite, was an engineer, and he moved the family to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

for a new job. There, the young Benite was spotted by Boleta, the coach of

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 ...

, while Benite was playing with his brothers. Boleta brought the boys to the Flamengo athletic club, where Benite started his youth career in 1997. Benite would attend school in the morning and play basketball in the afternoon. When he was a few years older, Benite continued his youth career 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 ...

, playing at Clube de Regatas Campinas. He finished his amateur youth career with

Rio Claro Futebol Clube Rio Claro Futebol Clube, commonly referred to as Rio Claro, is a Brazilian professional association football club based in Rio Claro, São Paulo. The team competes in Campeonato Paulista Série A2, the second tier of the São Paulo state footba ...

Professional career

After the end of his youth career with Ulbra/Rio Claro, Benite was signed by

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 ...

, joining the team for the first season (2009) of competition for the newly created

Novo Basquete Brasil Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB; English: New Basketball Brazil) is the Brazilian premier professional men's basketball league. It is organized by the Liga Nacional de Basquete (LNB; English: National Basketball League), in a new format of Brazil's pr ...

(NBB), the top tier of Brazilian basketball. The following two years Benite played for

Franca Franca is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The city is located in the northeastern portion of the state, distant 401 km (249 mi) from the state capital São Paulo, and 676 km (420 mi) from Brasilia. It covers a total area of 60 ...

2009–10 season

In his first season playing for Franca, Benite proved to be a great player. Because of his great matches, he was nominated for the NBB Revelation Player award, but Raulzinho won the award. This achievement helped Raulzinho to reach to

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 ...

2010–11 season: The new Brazilian jewel

In his second season in

, Benite made his best season, when he helped his team to reach to the final series of the championship. But Franca did not support the strength of the future champion

Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...

and became runner-up. Despite the defeat, Benite was chosen the NBB Sixth Man of the Year, the

NBB Most Improved Player The Novo Basquete Brasil awards ( English: New Basketball Brazil awards) are the yearly individual awards that are given by Brazil's top-tier level men's professional club basketball league, the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) (New Basketball Brazil). ...

and the NBB Revelation Player. After his great season, Benite was chosen by the

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

coach Rubén Magnano to play the

2011 FIBA Americas Championship The 2011 FIBA Americas Championship for Men, later known as the FIBA AmeriCup, was the qualifying tournament for FIBA Americas, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, in London. This FIBA AmeriCup tournament was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, from Augus ...

for

. After two seasons in Franca, Benite moved to

Limeira Limeira is a city in the eastern part of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. With a population of approximately 291,869 people (2022 IBGE.) and covering an area of 581 square kilometers, it sits at an elevation of 588 meters. The city is situated 1 ...

2011–12 season: Moving to Limeira

Arriving in

, Benite adopted the speech he wanted to play as

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

. His beginning season was excellent. Benite led his team to a great position in championship. But it did not last until the end of the season and

ranked ninth place. In the playoffs, Limeira was defeated by

Joinville Joinville () is the largest city in Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, in the Southern Brazil, Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitib ...

2012–13 season: The arrival at Flamengo and the first championship

With the end of the season, Benite moved to

, where he started his career. The arrival of Benite and arrivals from other players like

Marquinhos Marcos Aoás Corrêa (born 14 May 1994), better known as Marquinhos (), is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back and Captain (association football), captains both club Paris Saint-Germain FC, Par ...

, Olivinha, Kojo Mensah and Shilton dos Santos the club from

Gávea Gávea is an affluent residential neighborhood located in the South Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It borders São Conrado, Leblon, Lagoa and Jardim Botânico neighborhoods and is famous for its high concentration of artists. ...

gave to the group the status of super-team, a team formed only by stars and became the main contender for the NBB. In the state championship, Flamengo didn't have to reach its eighth consecutive title, which was conquered unbeaten. In

Liga Sudamericana The Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto (LSB), or FIBA Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto ( Portuguese: ''Liga Sul-Americana de Basquete'', English: ''South American Basketball League''), also commonly known as FIBA South American League, is the secon ...

, Benite and his teammates reached the Final Four, defeated

Regatas Corrientes Club de Regatas Corrientes, usually just Regatas Corrientes, is a sports club of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the river side of the Paraná river. Although Regatas was born as a rowing institution, the club is mostly recognized due to its bas ...

and

Peñarol Mar del Plata Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football. The nam ...

, but lost to

, which prevented the title that got the team from

Corrientes Corrientes (; Guaraní: Taragui, literally: "Currents") is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12. It has ...

. In

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 ...

, Flamengo qualified for the semifinals, with great performances from Benite. But in the semifinals, the team went through its worst season and lost all three matches, finishing last in the group. But the NBB, the story was totally different. The coach led by José Neto impose a sequence of 20 consecutive victories, only being defeated in the second round of the regular season. Benite was chosen to play the NBB All-Star Game for the third consecutive time, but due to an injury, he has no much time in the court. Recovered from his injury, Benite returned to play great matches . Flamengo finished the first stage in the first place, and in the playoffs, eliminated Paulistano, São José to reach the final of the championship. But in the week of the Final, Benite he felt the same injury that had left out a few games in the first round. Benite not played the Final, but it was very important to give support to his teammates . Benite saw his team once again be national champion. A great season Benite earned him his return to Brazil national team, to play

2013 FIBA Americas Championship The 2013 FIBA Americas Championship for Men, later known as the FIBA AmeriCup, was the qualifying tournament for FIBA Americas, for the 2014 FIBA World Cup, in Spain. This FIBA AmeriCup tournament was held in Caracas, Venezuela, from August 30, to ...

2018–present

On July 23, 2018, he signed with

Cedevita Cedevita d.o.o. is a Croatian company which produces a wide range of teas, instant drinks, and dietetic products. A notable owner of the company was the Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva d.d. Since 2001 Cedevita has been part of the Atlan ...

. Benite later signed with San Pablo Burgos. He averaged 13.5 points per game during the 2019–20 season, and re-signed with the team on July 16, 2020. In October 2020, he won the

2019–20 Basketball Champions League The 2019–20 Basketball Champions League is the fourth season of the Basketball Champions League (BCL), a European-wide professional basketball competition for clubs, that was launched by FIBA. The competition began in September 2019, with the qu ...

with Burgos. On August 5, 2022, he has signed with

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, a Spain, Spanish archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. the island had a population of that constitut ...

of the Spanish

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...

. On August 27, 2024, he signed with

of the

National team career

Benite has been a member of the senior

. With Brazil, he has played at the following major tournaments: the 2011 FIBA AmeriCup, the 2012 FIBA South American Championship, the 2013 FIBA AmeriCup, the 2014 FIBA South American Championship, the

2015 Pan American Games The 2015 Pan American Games (), officially the XVII Pan American Games () and commonly known as the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am Games (Toronto 2015), were a major international multi-sport event celebrated in the tradition of the Pan American Games, ...

, the

2015 FIBA AmeriCup The 2015 FIBA Americas Championship for Men, later known as the FIBA AmeriCup, was the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament for the 2016 Summer Olympics, in Brazil. This FIBA AmeriCup tournament was held in Mexico City, Mexico. The tournament was ...

, and the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

. He won the silver medal at the 2011 FIBA AmeriCup, the bronze medal at the 2014 FIBA South American Championship, and the gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games.Vítor BENITE (BRA).
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NBB career statistics

NBB regular season

NBB playoffs

Awards and accomplishments

*3× NBB champion: (2013, 2014, 2015) * NBB Sixth Man of the Year: (2011) *

: (2011) * NBB Revelation Player: (2011) * 3× NBB All-Star: (2011, 2012, 2013)

References

External links

FIBA ProfileEuroCup ProfileSpanish League Profile

LatinBasket.com ProfileNBB Player Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benite, Vitor 1990 births Living people 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 21st-century Brazilian sportsmen 21st-century Italian sportsmen ABA League players Associação Limeirense de Basquete players Basketball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Basketball players from São Paulo (state) Brazilian expatriate basketball people in Croatia Brazilian expatriate basketball people in Spain Brazilian men's basketball players CB Gran Canaria players CB Miraflores players CB Murcia players Esporte Clube Pinheiros basketball players Flamengo basketball players Franca Basquetebol Clube players Italian expatriate basketball people in Spain Italian men's basketball players KK Cedevita players Liga ACB players Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games Novo Basquete Brasil players Olympic basketball players for Brazil Pan American Games gold medalists for Brazil Pan American Games gold medalists in basketball Real Betis Baloncesto players Shooting guards Sportspeople from Jundiaí