Carlos Morais (basketball)

Carlos Edilson Alcântara Morais (Portuguese pronunciation: [muˈɾajʃ]; born 16 October 1985) is an Angolan basketball player for the Petro de Luanda of the Angolan Basketball League. Standing at 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in), he plays as shooting guard, or small forward.

Carlos Morais
Morais in 2023
No. 33 – Petro de Luanda
PositionShooting guard
LeagueUnitel Basket
BAL
Personal information
Born (1985-10-16) 16 October 1985 (age 39)
Luanda, Angola
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolCommunity Christian School
(Stockbridge, Georgia)
NBA draft2007: undrafted
Playing career2001–present
Career history
2001–2009Petro de Luanda
2009–2010Recreativo do Libolo
2010–2013Petro de Luanda
2013–2015Recreativo Libolo
2016–2018Benfica
2018–2019Mens Sana
2019–presentPetro de Luanda
Career highlights and awards

Morais is one of the most decorated players ever in Angolan basketball, as he has won nine Angolan League titles and was the league's MVP once (in 2007) and scoring leader four times. He spent two years in Portugal for Benfica, winning the national treble in 2017.

Representing the Angola national team, Morais has won four AfroBasket tournaments and has played at the 2008 Olympics.[1]

Early career

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Morais left for the United States in 2004 to attend Community Christian School in Stockbridge, Georgia. He had the option to play college basketball after, but chose to sign a professional contract.[2]

Professional career

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Angola (2001–2016)

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Morais started his professional career with Angolan powerhouse Petro de Luanda.

Toronto Raptors (2013)

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On September 19, 2013, Morais signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Toronto Raptors.[3] He was later waived by the Raptors on October 26.[4] He played in three pre-season games with Toronto and totalled 6 points in 21 minutes.[5]

Benfica (2016–2018)

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In 2016, Morais signed a two-year deal with Portuguese side Benfica.[6] He played in the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB) and was named an All-Star in two consecutive seasons (in 2017 and 2018). Morais also guided Benfica to the Portuguese Cup title and was named MVP of the tournament in 2017.

Mens Sana Siena (2018–2019)

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On July 22, 2018, Morais signed with Italian club Mens Sana of the second level Serie A2.[7][8] In March 2019, the team was dismantled and excluded from the Series A2 due to economic issues.

Return to Angola (2019–present)

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On February 25, 2019, Morais returned to Petro de Luanda for a third stint with the team.[9][10]

In the 2021–22 season, Morais won the national treble with Angola winning the league, cup and supercut competitions. They also reached the 2022 BAL Finals where they lost to US Monastir. Morais was selected to the All-BAL First Team for the first time.[11]

National team career

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Morais has been a member of the Angola national basketball team. He played for his country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He has won four AfroBasket gold medals with Angola, in 2005, 2007, 2019 and 2013.

He has also played at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where Morais faced the United States roster, which included all-time legends Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.[12]

Achievements

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Petro de Luanda

Benfica

Individual awards

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BAL career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an BAL championship
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021 Petro de Luanda 6 6 26.0 .343 .341 .700 3.8 1.5 1.3 .0 11.5
2022 Petro de Luanda 8 8 27.8 .344 .317 .667 3.9 3.2 1.4 .1 13.1
2023 Petro de Luanda 8 8 27.5 .442 .419 .789 4.4 3.1 .8 .0 15.6
2024 Petro de Luanda 8 5 19.7 .286 .263 .722 3.4 2.3 0.6 0.1 6.9

References

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  1. ^ "2006 FIBA World Championship - powered by www.fiba.com". www.fiba.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  2. ^ "BAL star Carlos Morais on the Raptors, and being 'like Leo Messi'". ESPN.com. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Raptors Sign Wright, Morais & Stone". NBA.com. 19 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Toronto Raptors waive Carlos Morais and Chris Wright :InsideHoops". www.insidehoops.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  5. ^ Francis, Adam (27 October 2013). "Raptors Waive Morais and Wright, Roster Down to 15". Raptors HQ. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Basquetebol: Carlos Morais assina por duas temporadas no Benfica". ANGOP.com. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Carlos Morais signed with Mens Sana Basketball". duran.cicenetworks.com. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  8. ^ "La Mens Sana segue Carlos Morais - Basketsiena.it - Il portale del basket mensanino e senese". www.basketsiena.it. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Jornal de Angola - Notícias - Carlos Morais volta a jogar nos tricolores". Jornal de Angola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  10. ^ "De volta ao Petro de Luanda, Carlos Morais promete títulos". AngoRussia (in European Portuguese). 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  11. ^ "US Monastir are the 2022 Basketball Africa League Champions". The BAL. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  12. ^ Lehohla, Manyehlisa (23 October 2022). "Morais cherishes being on the same court as Kobe". The Big Tip Off. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
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