Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos shared insights on his development and role with the team during a recent appearance on the Fullcourt Passport podcast, hosted by Ric Bucher and Bostjan Nachbar. Santos, a 2019 gold medalist with Brazil’s U17 team, reflected on his transition from a point guard in Brazil to a versatile forward in the NBA.
Santos explained, “When I got here, one of the coaches came up to me and said, ‘Gui, you have Stephen Curry on your team, so you have to learn to play without the ball.’ I said, ‘Okay, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it to the NBA.'” He described learning how to influence the game without controlling the ball, emphasizing defense, spacing and smart decision-making.
He credited his early G League experience with Santa Cruz for teaching him patience and adaptability. “I thought I had to score 30 points and 10 rebounds to get to the NBA. The coaches told me, ‘We just need you to play hard, defend well, create space and make quick decisions,'” Santos said.
Describing his path from Brazil to the NBA, Santos revealed that a professional contract with Minas kept him from playing college basketball. He reflected on working on improving his athleticism after initially withdrawing from the 2021 draft. “I just came back and it was basically just hard work: lifting, extra work, extra work,” he said.
On the current state of Brazilian basketball, Santos highlighted funding issues and limited exposure as reasons why the country is producing fewer NBA players today. He noted several potential players, including Eduardo Klafke and Samis Calerdon, who have the skills and physicality to reach the league.
Looking ahead, Santos expressed interest in playing point guard in the future, both internationally and potentially in Europe. “I would really like to play for Brazil for the national team as a point guard. I’ve played the World Cup, I’ve played the Olympics, but I also want to play more as a point guard,” he said. He also indicated plans to eventually play in Europe and return to Brazil to finish his career.
For the 2025–26 season, Santos appeared in 20 games, averaging 3.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game while providing depth for Golden State at forward.
Santos emphasized the importance of the national team’s success for Brazil, noting the team’s goal of climbing the FIBA rankings. “As we go higher, the resources and support for basketball in Brazil automatically goes up,” he said, emphasizing the broader impact of international success.
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