Former Raptors Draft Pick Stars for Brazil at Paris Olympics

Former Toronto Raptors first-round pick Bruno Caboclo had a stellar 33-point showing for Brazil at the Paris Olympics

Jul 30, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Germany power forward Daniel Theis (10) and Brazil power forward Bruno Caboclo (51) go for a rebound in men’s basketball group B play during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Bruno Caboclo just put on a show.

It's been a decade since the Toronto Raptors selected the unheralded Brazilian big man with the 20th pick in the 2014 NBA draft. At the time, Caboclo was virtually unknown to the basketball world and, as ESPN's draft expert Fran Fraschilla infamously proclaimed on draft night, the then-18-year-old was "two years away from being two years away."

It didn't quite pan out that way for Caboclo.

The 28-year-old never developed into the NBA player Toronto had hoped he'd become and after seven nondescript seasons in the league, Caboclo left to play international basketball.

On Friday, though, the 6-foot-9 small ball center had the kind of performance that Raptors executives always knew was in him. He led all scorers with 33 points on 9-for-15 shooting with a perfect 4-for-4 stroke from three-point range and 17 rebounds in an 18-point victory for Brazil over Japan.

Caboclo had started slow at the Olympics with just six points in his first two games before breaking out in Brazil's final game of the group stage. It was Brazil's lone victory in the initial round at the Paris games following a pair of losses to France and Germany.

Last summer, Caboclo looked stellar in five games at the FIBA World Cup, averaging 16.4 points and 9.2 rebounds while leading Brazil to an upset victory over Canada in second-round action.

Cabolco played in Summer League action for the Utah Jazz in 2022 but could not earn an NBA roster spot. He last played for the Houston Rockets during the 2020-21 NBA regular season.