Kanela

Kanela Soares was a legendary Brazilian coach, best known for coaching basketball, but he also led club teams in football, water polo, and rowing. Starting as a football coach, he led Botafogo FR from 1929-36 and then coached CR Flamengo in 1948-49. In basketball Kanela led Flamengo from 1948-70 and was Brazilian national team coach from 1951-71. He helped Flamengo win the Rio de Janeiro League 12 times (1948-49, 1951-60).

With the national basketball team, Kanela was in charge at the 1960 and 1972 Olympics and at five World Championships – 1954, 1959, 1963, 1967, and 1970. He led the team to an Olympic bronze medal in 1960 and World Championships in 1959 and 1963, adding silver medals at the Worlds in 1954 and 1970 and a bronze medal in 1967. He also helped Brazil win bronze medals at the Pan American Games in 1951 and 1959 and five South American titles – in 1958, 1960-61, 1963, and 1971. Kanela was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.