Pop culture fan costumes have become a staple in the stands at Olympic basketball events in Lille, but Friday’s match saw an unexpected twist with a Latin American homage: the ‘Brazilian chapulines.’ The Brazilian team secured a commanding 102-84 victory over Japan in men’s Group B, ending Japan’s Olympic hopes. The standout performance came from forward Bruno Caboclo, who scored an impressive 33 points, much to the delight of the Brazilian fans in the audience.
Among the most enthusiastic supporters were eight fans dressed in unitards resembling Mexico’s iconic superhero ‘Chapulin Colorado’ – the Red Grasshopper. However, they gave the outfits a Brazilian twist with blue and yellow colors. This 1970s television parody, created by Mexican comedian Roberto Gomez Bolano, has remained hugely popular across Latin America.
Gustavo Cardozo, one of the fans in the group, shared their story: “We first got together at the Panamerican Games in Guadalajara in 2011. It was an idea we thought of to rope in the Mexicans to root for Brazil. It was so successful that we thought, why don’t we continue?” Since then, the group has donned their body suits at several major sporting events, gaining popularity and bringing attention to Brazilian athletes.
On the Japanese side, fans showcased a variety of costumes, from tributes to Dragon Ball Z and Naruto to simple red and white jerseys. Regardless of their attire, they united in singing the theme song from the ‘Slam Dunk’ anime to support their team. Japan’s center Josh Hawkinson explained, “That’s kind of a theme in Japan. Basketball hadn’t been as popular, then the Slam Dunk manga came out, became an anime, and then into a movie this past year.”
The ‘Slam Dunk’ manga, first published in the 1990s, follows the story of a high school delinquent who discovers his passion for basketball after a girl he likes suggests he try the sport. Hawkinson added, “We drew a lot of inspiration from that, and after a strong showing at the World Cup, the fan base just exploded in growth. Japan has a really big sports culture, starting with soccer and other sports, but now it’s expanding into basketball, which is really fun to see. I’m really proud to be a part of the growth of that.”
The lively atmosphere in Lille highlighted the cultural crossovers in sports fandom and the growing popularity of basketball in Japan, driven by the enduring influence of the ‘Slam Dunk’ series.
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