O Draft da NBA It will start this Wednesday, 25, and will have a Brazilian between the choices. Nathan Marianofrom Sesi Franca, participates in the event that brings together young talents of world basketball in search of a place in the most prestigious league on the planet.
The player has just won the NBB title with Sesi Franca and will try to dig his space in the United States. At the age of 21 and about to complete 22 in 2025, the pivot ward is fulfilled the “automatic eligibility” requirements for the draft as it operates outside the United States.
Nathan will be the 26th Brazilian to participate in the selection process. To this day, 16 athletes from the country have been chosen. The last Brazilian players to participate were Didi Louzada, Gui Santos and Márcio Santos. The Gui Santos wing was selected by the Golden State Warriors at 55th position in 2022.
MORE: The 6 safest choices of NBA Draft 2025 from Cooper Flagg to Walter Clayton Jr.
Who is Nathan Mariano?
Born on September 16, 2009, in Franca, Nathan Mariano has the influence of his older brotherLucas Mariano, who played 14 NBB seasons and has established himself as one of the country’s great pivots. The mother of the brothers was also a professional basketball player.
The player was integrated into the main cast of Sesi Franca in the 2020/21 season. Even with little space, he arrived at the adult team at the age of 18. In that campaign, he played in just six games, with an average of three minutes. The minutes were multiplying in the following seasons and the player firmed themselves because of versatility. With 2.07 meters and 91 pounds acts as a pivot wing.
In 2022/23, it increased its participation to 21 matches, but still a few minutes. The following season played in 34 games with just over seven minutes per duel. So it was in 2023/24 that he began to establish himself as an important piece in the group.
This NBB season, Nathan played in 51 games and had averages of 6 points and 3.8 rebounds, with 17.8 minutes per match. With the injury of the captain and idol Lucas Dias, he became part, in fact, the rotation of the Franca and was a starter on several occasions. Even with the arrival of Wesley and the return of Lucas Dias, shirt 43 continued to actively participate in the matches.
He was part of the cast that won the national title, and was summoned by Aleksandar Petrovic to defend the main Brazilian team.
Brazilians chosen in the NBA draft
| Yet | Player | Team that selected him | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Marquinhos Abdalla | Portland Trail Blazers | – |
| 1984 | Oscar Schmidt | New Jersey Nets | – |
| 1988 | Rolando Ferreira | Portland Trail Blazers | – |
| 2002 | Nenê Hilário | Denver Nuggets | 7th general |
| 2003 | Leandro Barbosa | San Antonio Spurs | 28th General |
| 2004 | Rafael Araújo | Toronto Raptors | – |
| 2004 | Anderson Varejão | Orlando Magic | – |
| 2006 | Marquinhos (from SPISSKA) | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | – |
| 2007 | Tiago Splitter | San Antonio Spurs | – |
| 2010 | PAULÃO PRESTES | Minnesota Timberwolves | – |
| 2012 | Fab Melo | Boston Celtics | – |
| 2013 | Lucas Nogueira | Boston Celtics | – |
| 2013 | Raul Neto | Atlanta Hawks | – |
| 2014 | Bruno Caboclo | Toronto Raptors | – |
| 2019 | Didi Louzada | Atlanta Hawks | – |
| 2022 | Gui Santos | Golden State Warriors | 55th General |
+ NBA Draft 2025: Our final ranking of the 60 best prospects
NBA Draft 2025: Time and where to watch
- Data: Wednesday, June 25
- Time: from 21h (from Brasilia)
- Local: Barclays Center, New York (USA)
- Transmission: ESPN (pay TV) and Disney+ (streaming)
