Herlander Coimbra

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Herlander Fernandes Coimbra (born in 1968) is a retired Angolan basketball player. A 6’7”, 168-pound forward, he played on Angola’s 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic basketball teams.

Coimbra is perhaps best known for his confrontation with American player Charles Barkley during the 1992 Barcelona games. Coimbra had hit Barkley while jockeying for position underneath the basket, and Barkley retaliated by elbowing Coimbra in the chest. Barkley later said, “Somebody hits me, I’m going to hit him back – even if it does look like he hasn’t eaten in a while” ^[1].

Though Barkley drew criticism for his actions and words, Coimbra took everything with good humor and actually struck up a friendship with his American opponent. Barkley later told reporters, “He came looking for me in 1996 in Atlanta to say hello. He said, ‘You made me a big star in my country.’ We’ve had a nice bond” ^[2]. Coimbra’s two-time Olympic teammate Angelo Victoriano also said, “Every time we go to the States, we meet Charles Barkley. He’s very supportive of us” ^[3].