American Sports Are Making Gains Across the Globe

Basketball Players Like Brazilian League Star Larry Taylor Serve as Unlikely Ambassadors for U.S. Culture

During the Brazilian basketball league’s recent all-star ceremony, held at an upscale lounge in São Paulo, Larry Taylor climbed atop a stage and started rapping his new hip-hop single, “Be Who You Are,” before a crowd of several hundred people, including the league president and national team coach. Taylor alone was not wearing a black suit, having opted for a maroon sports jacket, jeans, high-tops, and a flat-brimmed cap.

“Be a freethinker, make your own decision,” the 6-foot-1-inch guard from Chicago rapped in English. “In the midst of a mission …