Flamengo Basketball Opens NBB Opening Tournament Campaign Against Botafogo

Unbeaten throughout the 2026/27 campaign, Flamengo Basketball begins another chapter on Tuesday (6). The Rubro-Negro face Botafogo at 11:30 a.m. at Ginásio Dona Salomé in Belo Horizonte, in the opening round of the NBB Opening Tournament. The defending champions launch their title defense with live coverage and streaming via FlamengoTV.

Demétrius Ferracciú's squad arrives in fine form, having won all four matches played so far. In the Rio Championship, Flamengo overcame Fluminense and Botafogo and secured a place in the final. They then travelled to Uruguay, where they won two international friendlies: a 75-72 comeback victory over Peñarol and a 92-77 triumph against Biguá.

Ferracciú highlighted the value of the Uruguayan encounters in shaping the team's development early in the campaign. "Those two games against Peñarol and Biguá were hugely important, because they're quality sides, teams that will play in high-level competitions. It proved to be a good test for us—to assess what we got right and keep building on that, and also identify what we need to correct," the coach said.

The manager also underlined the resilience his group displayed across both challenges. "Our team showed tremendous character in those matches. In the first one especially, playing from behind against a very good opponent with a packed house. And the next day, given the physical toll and the way our players handled—with real quality—the pressure moments we faced. I'm very pleased with how the team conducted itself, with the resilience we showed. But the most important thing is to understand we still have plenty of room to grow," he added.

The Opening Tournament brings together eight teams split into two groups. Flamengo sit in Group B alongside Botafogo, Tatuí and Minas. After their opener, the Rubro-Negro return to court on Wednesday (7) at 11:30 a.m. against Tatuí, then close the first phase on Friday (9) at 5:00 p.m. against Minas. The group winner advances to the final, scheduled for Saturday (10) at 7:30 p.m.

All of Flamengo Basketball's matches in the Opening Tournament will be broadcast live on FlamengoTV, with commentary from Emershow Santos and analysis by Duda Machado.

Upcoming Fixtures

06/10 – 11:30 a.m.

Flamengo vs Botafogo

07/10 – 11:30 a.m.

Tatuí vs Flamengo

09/10 – 5:00 p.m.

Flamengo vs Minas

Potential Final – 10/10 – 7:30 p.m.