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Nenê hasn’t forgotten.

As a youngster growing up in Sao Carlos, Brazil, the circumstances were less than ideal for the future lottery pick. Air-conditioned gymnasiums furnished with glossy hardwood floors, glass backboards and the latest amenities were hardly the norm in this region, which was founded in the mid-1800s during the “Golden Age of Coffee.” Asphalt blacktops and outdoor baskets weren’t anywhere to be found. No, the traditional path to NBA stardom didn’t apply to a youngster from Brazil, where playing basketball often consisted of two makeshift baskets, one based on each end of a vehicle parked in a vacant lot. In this soccer-dominated country, resourcefulness was your partner in pursuit of playing the game you loved.

The less-than-ideal conditions certainly presented a myriad of challenges, but it was the masterful teachings of certain individuals such as Nivaldo Meneghelli, a Brazilian coach, who taught a young Maybyner “Nenê” Hilario the finer points of the game. Due to these conditions, the means may not have always been there, but the encouragement was overflowing.

“I grew up with plenty of external support,” said Nenê. “My family could not always keep up with my appetite or my shoe size, and both seemed to increase exponentially.

So did his game. While the 6-11 forward-center skyrocketed to become the seventh overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, the lessons learned from his childhood and the generosity of others has inspired the third-year player to return the favor — ten-fold.

“In the same way I was supported through my younger years, and continue to be supported in other ways today, I too want to help in any way possible to provide an opportunity for kids to use and apply their god-given talents," said Nenê. "All athletes have an obligation to give back. We are compensated handsomely for our work and should support our roots as best we can.”

While basketball allowed Nenê to create a life that he only could have dreamed about as a kid, he’s using the game to inspire others in his hometown to reach greater heights, whether it’s on or off the court. The third-year NBA player has taken the lead in building a community center in Sao Carlos, targeted to open by the Fall of 2006.

“The initial phase has been completed, which is usually the most tedious, and that is of the filing of all of the documentation,” said Nenê. “Our second phase of creating the foundation for the site will begin this year, as will the initial layout of the center. The entire project will be dependent on funds, but I anticipate a substantial part of the site completed in the next year and a half. These types of projects in my country take some time.”

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According to Nenê, the community center will be divided into three areas: one featuring a community village equipped with an outdoor court, cafeteria, mini-theater and banquet hall; the second consisting of a soccer field; and highlighting the third section will be a training center, which will include multi-purpose courts, training facilities, dormitories and classrooms.

Nenê’s generosity isn’t ending with the youth center. Since high-school basketball doesn’t exist in Brazil, Nenê is starting his own league, the Nenê Cup, which will tip off in the Fall of 2005.

“The North American high school athletics infrastructure is excellent,” said Nenê. “It is probably something taken for granted because it has always been in place. I would like to try and develop this concept in Brazil. Our current athletics structure is basically through sports clubs. There are high-school athletics, but it is very underdeveloped. I really believe this would help promote kids remaining in school and studying while playing, instead of just playing.”

While the Brazilian National Team star hasn’t forgotten the childhood struggles of finding a place to play, he’s also hoping to continue to grow the NBA’s popularity in his country as well.

“The popularity of the NBA and the sport has increased since we have started,” said Nenê, who, along with Toronto's Rafael Araujo, Phoenix's Leandro Barbosa and Cleveland's Anderson Varejão, is one of four Brazilians currently playing in the NBA. “But I believe that there is still plenty to be done in my country for the sport to grow in talent and popularity. Our national team also has to have better performances on the international stage for the sport to grow.”

Thanks to the charitable efforts and opportunities provided by Nenê, not only has basketball's future in Brazil never looked brighter, but finding a place to play in Sao Carlos will never be so easy.