Former basketball coach Cláudio Mortari died this Thursday (25). At the age of 77 and with some comorbidities, his death was confirmed by his family on social media.
Mortari dedicated much of his life to sport. He was coach of the main clubs in the country such as Palmeiras, Bradesco, Flamengo, Pinheiros, Corinthians, Sírio and São Paulo. He also directed the Brazilian team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
São Paulo was his last club. The coach was in charge of the tricolor team since the end of 2018 and remained until October 2021, winning the unprecedented Campeonato Paulista. One of his sons, Bruno Mortari, also works as a coach in the sport.
Check out the statement from the Brazilian Basketball Confederation
Brazilian basketball lost one of its greats with the death of Cláudio Mortari, historic coach and fundamental character of the sport in the country. Recognized for his victorious trajectory, Mortari built a legacy that spans generations.
– Mortari was a great idol in our history. A coach of incredible tactical quality, champion. But as a person, even better. A gentleman, a teacher. An incredible education and friendship. The world loses too much without Cláudio Mortari. Basketball loses a character and idol and we lose a friend. A kiss to the family, to the children. The man goes, the legend remains. Rest in peace and risk for everything you did here. – commented Marcelo Sousa, president of CBB.
Born in São Paulo, on March 15, 1948, Cláudio Mortari began his relationship with basketball very early. At the age of 11, he joined the youth teams of Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, the club where he built his entire career as an athlete until reaching the adult team. His career as a player, however, was short. At the age of 25, he decided to end his cycle on the court to begin a new stage, now as a coach.
Still at Palmeiras, Mortari played a fundamental role in developing talent, commanding the club’s youth teams, during which time he received six best coach awards. In 1976, he took over the Alviverde adult team and was responsible for launching Oscar Schmidt into the professional team. The following year, in 1977, he led Palmeiras to win the Brazilian Championship, before leaving the club to begin one of the most memorable chapters of his career.
At Esporte Clube Sírio, Cláudio Mortari definitively entered the history of Brazilian and international basketball. He was the commander of the club’s golden era, leading the team to the 1979 Interclub World Championship title, with a historic squad that included Oscar Schmidt, Marcel de Souza and Marquinhos Abdalla. With Sírio, Mortari also won the South American Championship on three occasions and the Brazilian Championship in three editions: 1978, 1979 and 1983.
Throughout his career, Mortari played for several traditional clubs in the country, always leaving his mark. Among them are Bradesco (RJ), Corinthians (SP), Pirelli (SP), Telesp (SP), Rio Claro (SP), Mogi das Cruzes (SP), Mackenzie (SP), Flamengo (RJ), Campos (RJ), Paulistano (SP), São Bernardo (SP) and Esporte Clube Pinheiros (SP). At Rio Claro, he won the 1995 Brazilian Championship. At Pinheiros, he achieved one of the most important titles in continental basketball by winning the 2013 League of the Americas.
Furthermore, Cláudio Mortari was champion of the Carioca and Paulista State Championships for different clubs, including Pinheiros, Flamengo, Mackenzie, Mogi das Cruzes, Rio Claro, Corinthians and Sírio, reinforcing his longevity and ability to adapt in different contexts of national basketball.
Between 2018 and 2021, Mortari led São Paulo Futebol Clube, a period in which he led the Tricolor team to win the 2021 Campeonato Paulista, consolidating the club’s project on the national stage.
He also had a remarkable time with the Brazilian youth teams. In 1979, he was the coach of the youth team that won runner-up in the world championship, an impressive result on the international stage.
More than titles, Cláudio Mortari leaves a legacy based on training, valuing the fundamentals of the game and professional ethics. His contribution goes beyond numbers and trophies, remaining alive in the history of Brazilian basketball.
The Brazilian Basketball Confederation deeply regrets the loss of Cláudio Mortari and sympathizes with family, friends and the entire basketball community in this moment of pain.
