Alberto Pedro Cabrera
Encyclopedia
Alberto Pedro "Mandrake" Cabrera (December 16, 1945 - August 12, 2000) was an Argentine
basketball
player. At club level, Cabrera won 17 championships with his former club, Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca and 12 titles playing for the Bahía Blanca
City team. He also played 8 years for the Argentine national basketball team, being also its captain.
Cabrera had been considered the best Argentine basketball player ever before the huge success achieved by Manu Ginóbili
playing at the NBA
. Cabrera was also named Sportman of the 20th Century by his born town, Bahía Blanca, in 1999. This city is also considered Capital Nacional del Básquet (National Capital City of Basketball) in Argentina due to the popularity of that sport there.
and started to play at 7 years old in Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca
. Although he had not a stylized physique, his first movements on the field showed that Cabrera was specially skilled to control and pass the ball and he was also criterious to defend, being an outstanding blocker due to his timming to jump. He was not only a strategist but a great scorer, achieveing an average of 28 points in one season. Moreover, his experience after many years of career and his permanent interest in the game made Cabrera deserver of nicknames such as "El Mago" (The Magician, in Spanish).
His debut in Primera División was on November 30, 1961. In 1963 Cabrera won his first title with Estudiantes, defeating 49-42 to Independiente in the final game. He was only 17.
Atilio Fruet was the leader player of Olimpo
, the other team of Bahía Blanca which disputed some of the most relevant games against Estudiantes during the 70's. About Cabrera, Fruet said:
Cabrera also played 8 years for the Argentina national basketball team
, with a total of 16 matches disputed. His debut was in the Mundial Extra hosted in Chile
in 1966, playing then the 1967
and 1974
FIBA World Championship
s which took place in Uruguay and Puerto Rico
, respectively. His score average was 11,5 points.
On January 16, 1984, Cabrera retired from the activity winning a Torneo Bahiense championship. He died of leukemia
on August 12, 2000.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. At club level, Cabrera won 17 championships with his former club, Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca and 12 titles playing for the Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
City team. He also played 8 years for the Argentine national basketball team, being also its captain.
Cabrera had been considered the best Argentine basketball player ever before the huge success achieved by Manu Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
playing at the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Cabrera was also named Sportman of the 20th Century by his born town, Bahía Blanca, in 1999. This city is also considered Capital Nacional del Básquet (National Capital City of Basketball) in Argentina due to the popularity of that sport there.
Basketball career
Cabrera was born on December 16, 1945 in Bahía BlancaBahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
and started to play at 7 years old in Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca
Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca
Club Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca, known as Weber Bahía Estudiantes for sponsorship reasons, is a sports club based in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The club is best known for its basketball team, that currently plays in the Liga Nacional de Básquet , the top division of the...
. Although he had not a stylized physique, his first movements on the field showed that Cabrera was specially skilled to control and pass the ball and he was also criterious to defend, being an outstanding blocker due to his timming to jump. He was not only a strategist but a great scorer, achieveing an average of 28 points in one season. Moreover, his experience after many years of career and his permanent interest in the game made Cabrera deserver of nicknames such as "El Mago" (The Magician, in Spanish).
His debut in Primera División was on November 30, 1961. In 1963 Cabrera won his first title with Estudiantes, defeating 49-42 to Independiente in the final game. He was only 17.
Atilio Fruet was the leader player of Olimpo
Olimpo de Bahía Blanca
Club Olimpo, usually referred to as Olimpo de Bahía Blanca, is a sports club based in the city of Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The club was founded on October 15, 1910, and their main activities are basketball and association football. The football team currently plays in the...
, the other team of Bahía Blanca which disputed some of the most relevant games against Estudiantes during the 70's. About Cabrera, Fruet said:
Cabrera also played 8 years for the Argentina national basketball team
Argentina national basketball team
The Argentina national basketball team represents Argentina in basketball international competitions, and is controlled by the Argentine Basketball Federation....
, with a total of 16 matches disputed. His debut was in the Mundial Extra hosted in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in 1966, playing then the 1967
1967 FIBA World Championship
The 1967 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Montevideo, Uruguay from May 27 to June 11, 1967.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:...
and 1974
1974 FIBA World Championship
The 1974 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Puerto Rico from July 3 to 14, 1974.-Venues:- Competing nations :- Preliminary round :-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Classification round:-Final round:...
FIBA World Championship
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
s which took place in Uruguay and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, respectively. His score average was 11,5 points.
On January 16, 1984, Cabrera retired from the activity winning a Torneo Bahiense championship. He died of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
on August 12, 2000.
Championships
- Clubs:
- Torneo Oficial: 5 titles (1965, 1970, 1974–75, 1982)
- Torneo Bahiense: 12 titles (1962–63, 1966–67, 1970–72, 1974–75, 1980, 1982–83)
- Bahia Blanca city team:
- Torneo Bonaerense: 12 titles (1964–71, 1973–75, 1978)
- Buenos Aires province team:
- Torneo Argentino: 9 titles (1966–67, 1969–73, 1976, 1979)
- Argentina national basketball team:
- Campeonato Sudamericano: 1 title (1979)
- Total Games played: 724
Awards and recognition
- Olimpia de PlataOlimpia AwardThe Olimpia Award is a sport award in Argentina, given every year by the Argentine Sports Journalists' Circle since 1954.An Olimpia de Plata is awarded to one of the candidates of each one of the 41 sports disciplines...
(for basketball player of the year in Argentina): 3 (1970, 1973, 1974) - Sportman of the 20th Century, named by his home town, Bahia Blanca, in 1999.
- Number 14 retired by Estudiantes de Bahía BlancaEstudiantes de Bahía BlancaClub Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca, known as Weber Bahía Estudiantes for sponsorship reasons, is a sports club based in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The club is best known for its basketball team, that currently plays in the Liga Nacional de Básquet , the top division of the...
on October 3, 2004.