PORTLAND, Oregon -- Felipe Dos Anjos is tall. Very tall. And he has been for much of his life. He was more than six feet tall at age 12, and now is 7-3 at 18. So he could grow even taller, perhaps 7-4 or 7-5 or taller. That's a boost for a basketball player. although it does cause a slight problem.
"It's so difficult to find clothes that fit," Dos Anjos said with a grin. "Trousers. They are so difficult, but I can find them."
And if the long-legged Dos Anjos continues to improve in basketball, apparel should be no issue. The Brazilian center is good enough already that he was picked to play with the World Select Team at the 20th annual Nike Hoop Summit in Portland last week. At least a quarter of past World Select players have been drafted by the NBA -- including the past four No. 1 picks -- and 36 were in the league as of mid-February. No wonder dozens of pro scouts surrounded the court to watch the team work out at the Portland Trail Blazers practice facility the day before the Summit game.
"Felipe just keeps getting better and better every year," said World Select Team coach Roy Rana, who has extensive experience coaching Canada national teams. "He's just one of those classic guys who starts to grow into his body. I think the most impressive thing about him is he has such a positive energy instilled in him. He's such a nice young man. I've really enjoyed coaching him. Our interactions are more smiles than scowls. So I'm just really hoping that he has a great experience."
His World Select teammates also were impressed by Dos Anjos' engaging personality. "Being that big, most would be scared, but he's really friendly," said World team guard Lindell Wigginton, who's from Canada. "He gets to know everybody. He doesn't stay in his own little world. He can be goofy. He's a great person.''
Basketball is Dos Anjos' passion now, but it wasn't always when still a young boy in Sao Paulo.
"When I was nine years old, I wasn't playing basketball. I was swimming," Dos Anjos said. "When I was 10 years old, I liked basketball because my mom, dad and cousins were playing basketball. That's when I started playing. I feel good when I play basketball. I feel free out there."
After playing for Sao Paulo's Esporte Clube Pinheiros youth program, Dos Anjos moved to Spain to join the Real Madrid youth club in 2012 when he was just 13. He said it wasn't easy leaving his family and living nearly 5,000 miles from home -- particularly at that age -- but he was eager for the opportunity the program provided.
"I said, 'Oh my God! I'm with Real Madrid,' " he recalled. "It was such a good opportunity for me."
Rana said basketball fans don't realize what players such as Dos Anjos and others go through when they must do such a thing.
"Everybody looks at the end result when they get into the NBA or make a lot of money, but nobody sees those lonely days when they're away from their families and struggling to learn a language," Rana said. "Talk about the resilience that these young men develop over time. For Felipe to have the spirit and energy that he does, it's pretty impressive."
Dos Anjos, who has learned English and Spanish in addition to his native Portuguese, said his mother and younger brother now live with him in Spain, which makes his life easier. So has his improvement in the sport.
He helped Real Madrid's 18-under team win the Adidas Next Generation tournament in 2015 and was named MVP of the tournament qualifier the next year. He shifted to the Oviedo second-division team for the 2016-17 season.
"That was a smart move for him because he got some experience in playing time," World Select Team assistant coach Marin Sedlacek said. "He's improving from year to year. This week he was very coachable."
Dos Anjos did not have an outstanding performance in the Hoops Summit game against Team USA last week. He committed two fouls, scored no points and pulled down one rebound in just under eight minutes of action. Sedlacek said that while Dos Anjos is improving each year, he still has a ways to go.
For one thing, while Dos Anjos has the great height and arm range, he needs to gain size and muscle in his upper body. The center agrees.
"I need to improve, I need to be stronger,'' Dos Anjos said. "Some skills, maybe the shot, that's the most important, and the rebounds.''
How good will Dos Anjos get and where will he end up playing? Rana said it's all just a matter of time. And growth.
"He's going to play at a very high level and make good money for a number of years," Rana said. "He has the right mindset, the right attitude. He's a great teammate. You can't ask for anything more than that.''
