Nothing Traditional About Joao Das Chagas’ path to UAB
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - July 17, 2025
The path into basketball for Joao Das Chagas began on Google and included a heavy dose of YouTube videos. Obviously, it was not a traditional path.
Interest in basketball was not big in his community when Das Chagas was a youngster in Niquelândia, Brazil. He knew nothing – literally – about the sport when some friends suggested he give it a try. Finding a place to play the sport was not the only difficult part of picking up the sport. Das Chagas said his father had to order him a basketball on the internet before he could give it a shot because they couldn’t find one in town. While he waited, Das Chagas surfed the web to find out how to play.
“I put it in the Google, like, how to make a layup,” said Das Chagas. “And I go one step, two, step, make it. I put in how I shoot a free throw, so I can get better. I would watch a video and go to the court and just try. Soon, I started loving basketball.”
Basketball became a vehicle to drive Das Chagas away from his home in Niquelandia, a community of around 45,000 people. His latest stop is UAB, where the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Das Chagas arrived around two weeks ago to work toward his first season in Division I basketball. He comes to Birmingham after spending the past two years playing in junior college and another year as a true freshman redshirt at Utah Valley.
All of that was preceded by four years in NBA Academy Latin America, which is based in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. The NBA Academy, which also has sites in Australia and Senegal, is, according to its website is an invitation only program that is “a year-round elite basketball development initiative that provides top high school-age prospects from outside the U.S. with a holistic approach to player development and a predictable pathway to maximize their potential.” Players attend school nearby and live at the academy year-round.
Das Chagas was 15 years old when he received the invitation to the NBA Academy after participating in a camp in Brazil. It meant leaving his close-knit family and his home country. Four years later, his basketball journey moved to the United States. He played the 2023-24 season at Arizona Western College, arriving after Yaxel Lendeborg moved on to UAB.
“I knew about (Lendeborg),” said Das Chagas. “I know he really rebounded the ball. That was the big thing they were talking about with him over there, because he break a lot of records. I think he got like 30 rebounds over there. I never had that. I’ve had 23 but 30 is a lot of rebounds.”
Das Chagas played in 29 games with one start at Arizona Western, averaging five points and five rebounds per game. He moved on to Indian Hills Community College last year, where he was an integral part of a team that finished 27-6 and advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament. Das Chagas averaged 6.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for a balanced team that spread the scoring production throughout.
Now he joins a UAB program that features a completely rebuilt roster. Das Chagas is the biggest player on the roster and the only natural post player.
“I chose UAB because when I come to my visit, I felt at home right away,” Das Chagas said. “Coach AK and Coach Cross, they see me and they got a goal for me and it's the same goal I want. So that's why I chose UAB. When everybody is new, you don't know who will start. You need to do your best and take your spot.”
Das Chagas got a later start than most of his teammates. He spent some time visiting his family in Brazil before reporting to Birmingham two weeks ago. Das Chagas is quickly working himself into basketball shape and learning about his new teammates. He said last week that the process of catching up shouldn’t take long and gave a quick glimpse of the role he expects to fill.
“My game is run the floor and get rebounds,” Das Chagas said. “My last coach, he called me ‘Gazelle’ because I always run.”