Report: Brazil may lose automatic Olympic berth due to FIBA debt

Argentina, Puerto Rico, Canada, and the rest of the teams in the FIBA Americas region may want to send a little cash Brazil's way.

Brazil is set to host the 2016 Olympic Games, which would normally give it an automatic berth to the event's basketball tournament. But an outstanding debt with FIBA is due July 31, according to multiple reports, and failure to settle the "significant outstanding dues" - estimated at $1 million - could lead to Brazil losing its automatic bid.

Should Brazil lose its automatic bid, it would need to qualify through the 2015 FIBA Americas tournament later this summer, or, failing that, the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament next July.

FIBA has declined to comment on the situation, and a firm announcement probably wouldn't be made until after its board meets Aug. 7-9.

The Brazilian Basketball Federation proposed repaying the debt on a schedule extending to 2019, but a FIBA spokesman said the July 31 deadline is a requirement "so that all participating teams know the qualification process" for the 2016 Olympics.

For other teams hoping to qualify through the FIBA Americas tournament, Brazil losing its automatic bid would complicate things. The top two teams from the FIBA Americas, which begin Aug. 25 in Mexico, qualify for the Olympics, and the United States is not participating as its already qualified by winning the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

So if Brazil is added to the (re-)qualification pool, it could essentially take away a spot from another Americas team, as Brazil would be a favorite to finish top-two.