Augusto Lima: 'Valencia's budget is 80 times bigger than ours but let's see what happens' / News - Basketnews.com

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Augusto Lima is always smiling and making jokes. It is something natural for him. The Brazilian player took the call from BasketNews while driving his car in Murcia, just after visiting his hairdresser.

UCAM Murcia / Schedule

Valencia Basket UCAM Murcia83-86 UCAM Murcia FC BarcelonaSat20:30

"I want to be pretty at the Copa. I have something in mind but I won't tell you," he laughs.

Lima is in his sixth season with UCAM Murcia, the club of his life. The place where he has built a family. UCAM will face Valencia Basket in the Spanish Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

In a survey published by the ACB League, general managers did not show trust in UCAM's chances to beat the Taronjas as all respondents selected Valencia to go through to the semifinal.

"No one bets for us, but it's good for us honestly. Valencia's budget is 80 times bigger than ours, they have better players... We will have 40 minutes to win against a great team. Let's see what happens," said Lima.

UCAM Murcia suffered a coronavirus outbreak last week, postponing the game against FC Barcelona that should have been played on Sunday.

"Some players and staff members are still testing positive. It has been a tough week. We are not UCAM Murcia if we do not suffer. We need to adapt. We are practicing with young players," the center revealed.

UCAM, whose coach is Sito Alonso, has done a great first part of the season, being one of the best teams offensively in the ACB League. However, some people have complained about the aggressiveness the Murcianos play.

"We are not offended anymore. They used us a few months ago to make our aggressiveness fame bigger. We need to keep playing like we have been doing and this bullshit will soon come to an end.

If I have to be honest, I would love to play even tougher. I learned to play with Saras like this. I hope to reach the same level. Sometimes I go home sad because we have not played as hard as we could," argued Lima.

Augusto Lima

Position:CAge:30Height:206 cmWeight:103 kgBirth place:BrazilProfileNewsStatistics

The Brazilian center will need to take care of Bojan Dubljevic, Mike Tobey, and Jasiel Rivero, three complete and versatile centers.

"All of them are great. It is not easy to defend Dubi, he can score from beyond the arc, he is good in the low post... Fortunately, he is not Tavares. It will be a difficult game for us."

The Spanish Copa del Rey will be played in Granada, where Augusto Lima played back in 2011.

"It was a great experience individually. I played a lot, but as a team, we descended. I came from Malaga, where I had some ups and downs. In Granada, I could enjoy playing basketball. I felt important there," detailed Lima.

Lima began his journey in Brazil playing in a basketball local program. Fluminense, a well-known football club, brought him sooner. He spent there almost a year until a team from Franca (a small town) recruited him.

"I was really lucky," Lima reveals. "Everything was more professional over there. I was in a better place, with a private school... I left home but it was a good opportunity for me. The structure was much better, not like a jungle."

He moved from Brazil to Spain, landing in Malaga which is one of the best youth structures.

"I remember it well. It was a big change, kind of cultural shock. I did not know if I would become a professional player, but I got into it. I had great coaches, Iñigo, Paco Alonso, Aurioles, Jesus Lazaro...

A lot of nice people have been throughout my career. But if I tell the truth, without Aito I would not be here. After some difficult times in my first months here, he recovered me. I lacked energy and he looked after me."

After leaving Malaga, Lima had an option to sign with Baskonia, but he denied it. He received then a call from Alejandro Gomez, UCAM Murcia's GM.

"I asked him to talk with the coach. Oscar Quintana called me. I will always be in debt with him. He was a key factor in my development. Obviously, I will always praise coaches like Jasikevicius, Peñarroya, and Sito, but what Aito and Quintana did for me is unforgettable," he confessed.

Lima has spent most of his career in Spain, but he had also time to play in other countries such as Lithuania or China.

"I did not adapt well in Kaunas, but I am thankful to the club. They made my life easier. Saras, Jankunas, Javtokas... Zalgiris are a big family. People are crazy there. Every game is a party.

Afterward, I lived a unique experience in China. I loved it. I would come back if I had the chance. I was in one of the best teams, coinciding with Andray Blatche and Darius Adams, two great players. It's something different," explained the center.

Credit BNS

Just before hanging up, we asked Lima what he would say to the young boy who left his own country to make his dream come true in Spain.

"That's a good question. Probably to be more aware of your decisions. That comes with maturity and time. I'm very proud of myself. You realize now some decisions you shouldn't have made in the past, but life is about learning every single day," he concluded.

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