SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian club Flamengo has shielded winger Bruno Henrique after he was reportedly accused by federal police of intentionally getting a yellow card in a match.
Local media reported earlier this week that Bruno Henrique was formally accused of getting booked in a Brazilian league match in 2023 so members of his family could profit from it on a betting website.
Coach Filipe Luís said in the early hours of Thursday that the 34-year-old player, who has made two appearances for Brazil’s national team, should be presumed innocent.
“I spoke to him. He is fine, absolutely fine. He showed up with all his teammates. The only thing we ask for is the presumption of innocence. A person who has the right to defend himself against the accusations,” the coach said after Flamengo’s 6-0 victory over Juventude at the Maracana Stadium late Wednesday.
“His behavior is that of a person who is completely calm, who went on the field today, was a teammate of his teammates, was a friend of his friends and is absolutely fine,” the coach said, adding that he plans to keep Bruno Henrique in the squad.
Brazil’s federal police, who confirmed last year they were investigating Bruno Henrique, did not say whether they had formally accused him after news reports emerged. The player has not spoken about the case, either.
The reports showed an alleged message exchange obtained by federal police between the player and his family members, in which he said he was going to be booked against Santos. Bruno Henrique received a yellow card in that game. It also shows an unusually high number of bets on the Flamengo winger being booked.
Flamengo said on Tuesday it had not been informed by any authorities about the reports on Bruno Henrique, who has helped the club win two Copa Libertadores titles.
Local media have reported that many of the suspicious bets for the player's booking against Santos came from his hometown of Belo Horizonte.
Flamengo leads the Brazilian league with 10 points after four matches.
In May of last year, West Ham and Brazil national team midfielder Lucas Paquetá was charged by English soccer authorities amid allegations he had deliberately received cards during Premier League matches to influence betting markets. Paquetá denies any wrongdoing.
In 2023, investigations by prosecutors in the state of Goias brought charges of alleged manipulation of sports competitions against 15 players across the top two tiers and local leagues. Many of them were suspended from playing the sport in Brazil.
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FILE - Bruno Henrique of Brazil's Flamengo controls the ball during a Copa Libertadores round of 16 second leg soccer match against Paraguay's Olimpia at Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay, Aug. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had to watch the visiting team become champions, again.
The Wemby era of the NBA is fully underway, with the 7-foot-4 French star unanimously winning the Defensive Player of the Year award this season, finishing third in the Most Valuable Player balloting and making first-team All-NBA for the first of what could be many, many times if all goes according to his plan.
But the ultimate moment has escaped his grasp for the second time in three years. In 2024, he tearfully watched the U.S. celebrate winning Olympic gold at the Paris Olympics — and now, he relived that moment by seeing the New York Knicks celebrating their first championship in 53 years by winning Game 5 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio on Saturday night.
“This is the biggest lesson of my life, the biggest learning moment,” the 22-year-old Wembanyama said. “I can’t tell you exactly what the lesson is, but we’re learning from that, for sure. I’m learning more than any other time in my life before.”
His numbers in the finals: 26 points, 11.2 rebounds. 3.6 blocks per game. They were good, just not good enough.
And his series, fairly or unfairly, will also be remembered for some mistakes: The turnover that led to Jalen Brunson’s go-ahead free throw in New York’s Game 2 win (a game where Wembanyama missed a jump shot to win at the buzzer); and missing a pair of crucial free throws with 1:47 left in Game 4, the one where the Spurs wasted a 29-point lead and lost by one in what became the biggest collapse in finals history. The Spurs wasted double-digit leads in all four losses, including a 16-point cushion in what became the season finale.
“The margin of error is very thin,” Wembanyama said. “Our domination stints are absolute. We absolutely dominated for most of the series. But our errors, our mistakes, are punished so hard that we can’t have ups and downs like this. ... The ups are OK. The downs are the reason we lost.”
It's only Year 3 for Wemby. It's not like every star wins right away.
It took Michael Jordan seven seasons to win his first championship. LeBron James needed nine years. Jerry West needed 12 years for his one and only title. John Stockton and Karl Malone never got one. Charles Barkley, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony didn’t get one, either.
“He’s definitely the future of this league, man,” Knicks legend Larry Johnson said during the series when asked about Wembanyama. “He’s a heck of a ballplayer.”
Wembanyama knows the history, knows that it took some of the greatest to ever touch a ball several years to win a title.
Doesn't mean he likes it.
“It’s painful. It’s painful,” Wembanyama said. “But I’m not running away from that. I’m using it to fuel me. ... I’m not satisfied with not winning. But as I said, this is the biggest lesson of my life. As a team, there’s no better experience than what we just lived.”
His numbers are like almost nothing the game has ever seen before. There have been four seasons in NBA history where someone had 150 blocks, 150 assists and 100 3-pointers. Chet Holmgren did it for Oklahoma City in 2023-24, and the other three instances are all from Wembanyama — who has hit those totals in each of his first three seasons.
“I think for a lot of people, this team seems to be ahead of schedule,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday on NBA TV. “I don’t think they feel that way. I’m amazed at Victor. Not just his play on the floor, but he’s such a curious young man. He’s a pleasure to talk to. He’s very worldly. I mean, he’s got amazing interests off the floor. He’s really dedicated to his craft and he’s got such a bright future ahead of him.”
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New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) rebounds over San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives as San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama defends during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, left, drives past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) is fouled by New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
