The third-year forward was Mountain West co-Player of the Year at Brigham Young, and the eighth selection in the 2004 draft. A 26-year-old native of Brazil, Araujo and his wife Cheyenne have a 2-year-old daughter named Tais.
You moved to the United States in 1999. What was that like?
The first eight months for me were really tough because I didn't speak English. I couldn't communicate. I tried to overcome that by hanging out with Americans, trying to use the language and not be embarrassed if I made a mistake. If you're shy about it, you won't leave your room, you won't get better. I had friends in the dormitory [at Arizona Western] who would take the time and listen and try to understand. That was a big help.
You go by a nickname in Brazil?
Yes, everybody calls me "Baby" in Brazil. If you say Rafael Araujo in Brazil, they would tell you, "Baby." I had teammates there, we played for two years and they didn't know my real name. . . . I guess I got the name because I had a baby face. They said that when I started playing, big body and baby face. The word for "Baby" is actually "Nene" in Portugese, but people use the English for my name, and "Nene" for [the Denver Nuggets forward]. But there are two "Babies" from Brazil in the NBA.
What will you do after your career ends?
I want to hang out with my family and help my daughter play sports. Just be her biggest fan at whatever she does.
Jazz coasted toward upcoming All-Star break by ... taking another break, a season-long four games off between games.
MONDAY
JAZZ 100
BULLS 95
SATURDAY
JAZZ 104
KNICKS 102 (OT)
33-17
Home: 19-6
Road: 14-11
Last 10: 7-3
Last 5: 4-1
Season record if they continue at this pace: 54-28
Season record if they play .500: 49-33
Season record if they play .333: 44-38
MONDAY
Hawks at Jazz
7 p.m., FSN Utah
WEDNESDAY
Cavaliers
at Jazz
7 p.m., KJZZ
* King James' annual visit to Salt Lake ended with 51 points and a standing ovation last season
