Felicio appreciates long road from Brazil to NBA
Almost exactly two years ago, Cristiano Felicio headed to Las Vegas as a virtually unknown player on the Bulls' summer league squad.
On Thursday, as the Bulls prepared for another summer trip to Vegas, Felicio officially signed his new contract, which is worth $32 million over the next four seasons. The financial windfall is a testament to NBA salary inflation, but also how Felicio has proved himself to be a capable center.
"It for sure means a lot to me," Felicio said on a conference call. "Everyone who's been with me since the beginning knows how hard I worked, how many 'nos' I got in the beginning of my career, how hard it was for me to get to this point."
Felicio grew up in Pouso Alegre, Brazil, a city of roughly 142,000 people about 120 miles north of Sao Paolo. He said the next purchase he plans to make is a house for his mother, who still lives in Brazil with his younger sister.
As a teenager, Felicio moved to Sacramento to attend CCSE Prep Academy, a fledgling basketball-oriented high school, then play at the University of Oregon. The school had problems, though, with the president arrested and eventually serving prison time for physical abuse of players. Before he could get to Oregon, Felicio was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for playing club ball in Brazil and had to return home.
"I've had really bad moments and moments when I thought I wasn't going to be able to go anywhere in the back of my head," Felicio said. "My mom helped me throughout everything. My family was with me. And to be here now, coming from a city where sports is not even a big thing, it's unreal."
Felicio said he didn't pursue offers from other teams before agreeing to terms with the Bulls shortly after the free-agent negotiating period began on July 1. He spent most of June at the Advocate Center, working out with a group of teammates. He will not play in the summer league this year.
Felicio averaged 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds last season. He's a good fit for today's NBA, where teams often utilize smaller, more mobile players on the front line. Felicio said he's been working to improve his midrange game this summer.
When free agent swingman Justin Holiday officially signs next week, the Bulls will have 12 players under contract. They are still negotiating with restricted free agent Nikola Mirotic and may have interest in bringing back restricted free agent Joffrey Lauvergne.
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