The farewell of Nilza, diva of basketball.
The center who secured Brazil's bronze medal at the 1971 World Championship in the final second of the game against Japan has died.
Brazilian basketball is in mourning. On Sunday (10), one of the sport's greatest stars, center Nilza Monte Garcia, aged 68, passed away after a battle with cancer. The athlete shone in São Paulo basketball between the 60s and 70s, where she played for Ypiranga, Corinthians and Pirelli/Santo André and won six state championships and a Taça Brasil with these clubs. But it was with the Brazilian national team that she made history. “A mix of Gérson, Rivelino and Pelé. That's our Nilza,” headlined a newspaper in 1971, during the World Cup in Brazil.
Born in the Ipiranga neighborhood of São Paulo, Nilza experienced glorious days with the national team, where she is the seventh highest scorer of all time. She achieved third place in the 1971 World Championship, gold medals at the Pan American Games (Winnipeg-1967 and Cali-1971), and three South American championships (Chile-1968, Ecuador-1970, and Bolivia-1974).
One of the most exciting moments of her career was in the packed Ibirapuera gymnasium, in a game against Japan at the 71 World Championship. “We were losing and I made the winning basket in the last second, closing it out 77-76. One of my greatest prides was helping Brazil in that game,” she recalled in an interview given to the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB) in 2006. Thanks to Nilza's basket, Brazil finished that competition behind only Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, which was unbeatable at the time.
"Brazilian basketball deeply regrets the loss of another icon in its history. Nilza was an example of an athlete and a person, who should be followed by future generations. The love she dedicated to basketball was impressive and will remain eternally in our memory. The CBB sends its condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time," said the president of the Brazilian Basketball Confederation, Carlos Nunes. The director of women's national teams at the CBB, Hortência Marcari, also attended the former athlete's wake.
With degrees in Physical Education, Pedagogy, and Psychology, Nilza worked as a university professor until the end of her life, combining two of her great passions: Physical Education and Pedagogy. On the CBB website, she left a message for those starting out in basketball: “One of the most important things is not to be focused on the financial aspect. You should pursue it not only for the financial gain but also for the personal pleasure. Wearing the national team jersey and hearing the national anthem is an unforgettable experience.”